Starbursts
by IWantColouredRain
Summary: Space: the final frontier. These are the voyages of the starship Enterprise. Its continuing mission: to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations, to boldly go where no one has gone before. Under the command of part-Betazoid Captain Rosalind Kirk, will Nero's defeaters soar or fall?
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything to do with Star Trek**

 **Prologue**

 _Edge of Klingon Neutral Space, Stardate 2233.04_

"What is it?" George Kirk asked eagerly as he heard the sounds of a newborn baby come over the comm.

"It's a girl!"

"A girl! Tell me what she's like!"

"She's beautiful," Winona's voice had a helpless tone to it as she answered.

George swallowed his own sounds of grief before speaking again. "What'll we name her?"

"We could name her after your mother," she suggested, pulling the infant closer. George let out a scoff.

"Ophelia, are you kidding me? No way. Let's name her after your mother. Let's name her Rose."

"Rose," Winona breathed. "Rose it is," she nodded as she gazed at the infant in her arms. She let out another sob. "George, you should be here."

George flinched as the computer warned him of thirteen seconds to impact. "Listen to me. Can you hear me?"

"I hear you! I hear you!" Winona yelled frantically in reply.

"I love you, I love you so-" he was abruptly cut off and Winona let out a choked off cry at the realization that she was now most certainly a widow.

* * *

 _Riverside, Iowa, Stardate 2243.44_

Rose pressed her hands tightly to her ears, trying to block out the sounds of Sam and Frank arguing loudly downstairs. The purple bruise on her cheek throbbed in reminder of why Sam was so furious.

Eventually, the arguing ended with the familiar sound of a door slamming. Footsteps sounded on the stairs and the quarter-Betazoid tensed for a moment before recognizing her brother's lighter gait.

Quickly she scrambled out of the closet and unbarred the door to reveal Sam, a determined look on his face.

 _"Rosie,"_ his voice sounded in her head. _"I need you to pack as much as possible in to your bag okay? We're leaving and we're never coming back so pack anything you really care about. Okay?"_

 _"Where're we going?"_ She asked, already heading to grab the duffle she used for visits to Betazed to visit George's mother.

"I spoke to Aunt Evadne. Dad's sister? She lives with her husband on Tarsus IV and she's agreed to take us in. I've applied for a few schools that I'll be able to get a degree from too. Everything will be fine, Rosie. I promise."

* * *

 _Tarsus IV, Stardate 2246.232_

Rose was trembling in fear as she was forced at phaser point alongside the rest of her family into the town plaza. Feelings of fear and grief were too prevalent for her to block out despite the training Aunt had been giving her since her arrival three years before.

Aunt Eva had a tight expression on her face as she held a tearful Ciara in her arms. TJ was holding Rose's hand and Uncle David, well Uncle David was dead.

Rose swallowed as the image of her uncle's body flashed in her mind's eye. She distracted herself by looking around the square. Every non-human, pregnant woman, and ill member of the colony was there, along with dozens more.

"There's at least three thousand people here," Hoshi appeared at their sides. There was a furious look on her face. "Every non-human, over-sixty, under-eighteen and ill person on the colony is here as far as I can tell. And anyone connected to Starfleet as well. There was phaser fire last night."

Aunt Eva shuddered and pulled Ciara closer. "What will we do?"

Hoshi glanced tensely around. Grim resignation and determination radiated from her as she answered.

"Archer will know something's wrong when I don't answer his next com. I told him there was food shortages last we spoke. Rose come here."

Rose stumbled over with wide eyes. _"Take this."_ She ordered the girl mentally while handing her a fully charged phaser. _"When I tell you, run as fast as possible, with as many of the other children as you can. Go to the forest and remember not to eat any tainted food or to drink the water. Keep scanning for threats with your abilities. Do you understand me?"_

Rose nodded blankly. Hoshi started calling people over and Rose braced herself, taking her youngest cousin from her aunt and pulling the other nearby children closer.

A man she didn't recognize appeared on the screen and began to the speak the words that would haunt her for the rest of her life. As Hoshi and the other adults attacked the guards, she found herself fleeing with her cousins and several others as screams and Kodos' speech echoed in her ears.

* * *

 _Riverside, Iowa, Stardate 2255.73_

Rosalind didn't bother watching the cadets fight. She simply continued sipping her drink and tapping at her PADD to complete her latest assignment. She did take note when a vaguely familiar figure seated himself at her table and started to study her in silence a few minutes later.

She briefly probed his thoughts enough to ensure he wasn't a threat and to recognize that he had Starfleet's standard shields before going back to her essay.

"I'm not a cadet," she finally told him after a short silence and he nodded in acknowledgement.

"No, you're certainly not," he admitted. "I don't know if you recognize me. I'm-"

"Commander Christopher Pike, First Officer under Captain Robert April of the USS Aldrin." Rose kept her voice carefully monotone. "Yes, I recognize you. Can I help you?"

He studied her for a moment before nodding. "It's Captain now, actually," he told her and she nodded in congratulations. Of all the officers on board the Farragut, she'd liked Chris and Boyce the most, even if she'd been uncomfortable around them still.

"I'll just get straight down to the point. That's how you preferred it as a kid. Enlist."

Rose snorted in cynical amusement. "You must be seriously down on your recruiting quota this month Chris. You know I'm a criminal right?"

"You're a hacktivist," he pointed out, leaning in towards her. She leaned away automatically. "You've never harmed anyone."

 _'Well **that's** certainly debatable'_ she thought bitterly, suppressing a flashback.

"And you've exposed over forty corrupt officials as well as kick-started the drafting of a dozen new protection laws for colonies. You want to keep people safe, I can tell. _Enlist_ Rose. You could do so much good."

Rose squirmed slightly. He was projecting the feeling that he thought she worth more than what she was doing, that he believed in her and she didn't know how to react to that.

"I don't trust the 'Fleet," she said finally. "Not after what happened."

Chris' expression softened. "I don't blame you. But let me ask you this, what would more effectively prevent another Tarsus IV catastrophe? You hacking reports and posting them on the media to publicize them? Or you being in the position to actually control what happens on colonies? First step would be becoming an officer. You're clever enough to be able to be an officer in four years, have your own ship in eight.

You've got that instinct, the one that makes you leap without looking. Your father had it too. In my opinion that's something Starfleet has lost and needs to get back. You're a natural leader, you've proven that already on Tarsus."

"We done?" Rose managed to get out. Chris stood, nodding. "We're done. Shuttle to the Academy leaves tomorrow at 0800 hours. You have 'til then to decide." He turned and strode off, leaving Rose sitting shaken in her seat.

The next day she pulled up at the shipyard on her bike and handed it off to a worker who complimented it before striding up beside Pike. "Four years huh? I'll do it in three." She winked at him before strutting onto the shuttle and making her way to seat, skillfully avoiding banging her head. She met Dr. Leonard McCoy a few minutes later.

* * *

 **A/N: So, there's gonna be a few changes from canon other than for Kirk's gender and species. I chose Rosalind as her name because it's the name of a moon of Uranus that was discovered in 1986. Ophelia is also a moon belonging to Uranus it's a shepherd satellite with Cordelia. Her Betazoid heritage comes from George's mother in case you couldn't figure it out. The other changes should be obvious very quick I think. R &R please but no flames!**


	2. Where No (Wo)man Has Gone Before

**Chapter One**

 **Where No (Wo)man Has Gone Before**

 _Captain's Log, Stardate 2258.244_

 _Something very strange has happened. We're receiving a recorded distress signal from directly ahead. The call letters of a ship that has been missing for two centuries. It seems that another Terran ship may have probed out of the galaxy. I have to wonder what happened to it. Is this a warning they've left behind? We are going to investigate._

* * *

"Object is nov vithin tractor beam range, Keptain," Chekov reported as Rose stood up.

"No visual contact, Mister Chekov?" She asked.

"No, ma'am. It eez too small to be a wessel. It only reads about one metre in diameter."

"Not large enough even for a lifeboat," Spock pointed out, Rose nodding with a small frown.

"Small enough to bring it aboard," Chekov added. "If you vant to risk it ma'am."

Rose hesitated for a moment, the new pressures of command weighing on her shoulders for a moment before nodding. "Lock onto it, Mister Chekov."

As soon as Chekov confirmed the orders she turned and began to hurry out with Spock at her side.

In the transporter room, Scotty was waiting at the controls. "Materialiser ready, ma'am," he reported.

"Bring it aboard." She studied the object that appeared with a frown. "Old-style ship recorder that could be ejected when something threatened the ship."

"More like destroyed the ship in this case," Spock observed. "Look at it. Burnt, pitted."

Kirk sighed. "Let's hope its tapes are intact. We'll feed it through Mr. Spock's computer."  
Scotty nodded. "Yes, ma'am. It's begun transmitting, ma'am."

Rose scowled. "Flash the Bridge," she ordered. "Put all decks on the alert." She and Spock then made their way to turbolift, Rose lost in thought.

"Hold it!" Gary Mitchell called as they entered. She smiled at him as he entered. Gary had been a good friend since the Academy. Not as good as Bones, but still good. They'd been lovers on and off as well, although Rose had put a ban on that after becoming his CO. She wouldn't allow herself to sleep with someone of lower rank, it just didn't feel right. Too much problems with consent and such. No, no on-ship romance or sex for Captain Kirk.

"Getting into shape?" She teased the mildly out of breath lieutenant and he mock scowled at her.

"Yeah, well. I figured you weren't on the bridge. Chekov sounded nervous."

"It should be harmless," Rose murmured and Gary smirked.

"Keyword being should," he pointed out. She nodded in concession.

The door opened to reveal the bridge and they each made their way to their places. Gary relieved Sulu and Spock took his place at the science station.

"Screen on," she ordered and Chekov quickly acknowledged her, turning on the viewscreen to reveal the edge of the galaxy and warning that they were approaching the edge of the galaxy.

Rose was careful to hide the nervousness welling up inside her. _'Panic is not allowed on the bridge'_ Admiral Kirk insisted mentally. _'You're the Captain, you have to keep collected or everyone will fall apart.'_

Not for the first time in the past three months since the Enterprise had set sail, Rose thanked God for her counterpart's advice. Admiral Kirk, or Rosalie Jones as she was going by, had been a lifesaver. Literally.

She turned her attention back to her surroundings. "Neutralise warp, Mr. Mitchell," she instructed, the man acknowledging her as he obeyed.

Rose hit the shipwide comm. "This is the Captain speaking," she began. "The object we encountered is a ship's disaster recorder, apparently ejected from the S.S. Valiant two centuries ago. We hope to learn what happened to the ship from the tapes. We'll move out into our probe as soon as we have those answers. All decks, stand by."

"The department heads, Captain." Spock said to Rose as she cancelled the comm. "As you requested. The science department is ready, of course."

"Engineering division is ready, ma'am," Scotty added. "As always."

"Communications are ready," Uhura chimed in. Rose pursed her lips in frustration at the feelings of reluctance and disrespect from her Comm Officer but didn't mention it. She didn't have either the time or patience for another useless fight.

"Medical's ready, ma'am," Bones announced briskly. As always Rose felt a surge of appreciation for Bones being so good about her request that he treat her as his superior instead of friend when they were on duty.

"Decoding memory banks," Spock reported as he scanned his screen. "I'll attempt to interpret the data. The Valiant encountered a magnetic space storm and was being swept in this direction."

"The old impulse engines weren't strong enough," Rose guessed and Spock nodded in agreement.

"They were swept past this point, about a half light year out of the galaxy. They were then thrown clear, turned, and headed back to our galaxy here. I'm not getting it all. The tapes are very damaged. It appears that the ship encountered some unknown force. There were several urgent requests for anything related to ESP in human beings from the ship library."

Rose raised her eyebrows in surprise at the strange request, turning to look questioningly at her CMO. McCoy frowned deeper as he considered the report.

"Well it's a fact that some people have psychic abilities," he conceded. "But in humans it's always very limited, reading the backs of playing cards and stuff."

"I'm interpreting the rest of the message Captain," Spock reported. "Severe damage. Seven crewmen dead. No, make that six. One crewman seemed to have recovered. That's when they became interested in extrasensory perception. More than interested, almost frantic about it. No, this must be garbled. I get something about destruct. I must have read it wrong. It sounded like the captain giving an order to destroy his own ship. "

Kirk frowned. "Lt. Uhura, get those logs scrubbed clean," she finally ordered. Uhura huffed but obeyed and Rose continued. "Helm, continue forward."

"Captain, I advise against this," Spock pulled her aside as the ship started forward. "We may encounter the same force that caused the Valiant's destruction."

"We have standing orders," Rose sighed heavily. "We need to take the risk. Return to your station." Spock nodded curtly and stalked off.

"Approaching the edge of the galaxy, Ma'am," Gary reported tensely. Rose stared in mild shock at the strange shimmering green, for lack of another word, wall, in front of them."

"Spock what is that?" she demanded sharply.

"Uncertain Captain," he answered. "It appears to be a forcefield of some type."

"Shields up!" Rose ordered as the ship suddenly lurched. "Yellow alert! Someone get me a status report! Now!"

"Rose help!" Gary suddenly yelled, collapsing and Rose rushed to grab the helm.

"Make that red alert! All decks on fire alert, we're turning back!"

* * *

 _"Captain's Log, Stardate 2258.244._ _The trip outside our galaxy was a disaster. Four crewmembers were lost, Ensign Chloe Michaels, Ensign Rod'ika, Lt. Camilla Checka and Lt. Andrea Dobbs. Lt. Mitchell also collapsed but seems to have recovered. Except for Rod'ika, an Andorian, they were all human. These are the first crewmembers that I have lost since the launch three months ago. I am, incredibly distressed to say the least. I plan to personally contact each of their families to inform them. In addition, we still don't know what happened to the Valiant to cause them to self-destruct._

A knock sounded at the door and McCoy and Spock entered.

"Hey," Rose greeted them tiredly. "How's Gary?"

Bones shook his head. "It's the darnest thing I ever saw Rose. He's in perfect health. Hell, he's better than he was just yesterday when he had his physical. He keeps asking for more."

"More what?"

"Just _more_ , more books, more information. I had to give him a book of poetry to keep him quiet."

Rose ran a hand tiredly over her low twisted bun. "I see," she said slowly, turning to her First. "Mr. Spock, do have any ideas about this? I lost men and I want answers."

Spock nodded. "I have been looking for commonalities in their health files," he told her. "To learn why they were the only ones affected. I discovered that each of the crewmembers had an unusually high ESP rating."

"ESP," Rose said slowly, dread creeping up her spine. "The Valiant was researching ESP before being setting the self-destruct."

"Indeed," Spock agreed. "I must also inform you, Captain, that Lt. Mitchell had the highest ESP rating of them all."

"So that forcefield caused his abilities to manifest, explaining why he's so eager for information," Rose murmured. She had the brief thought that if she kept frowning so much, she was going to look forty before she turned twenty-six. Then another thought occurred to her and she scrambled to her feet. "Are you two telling me I've got an alien-influenced psychic obsessed with gaining information and access to the systems on board?"

The mens' eyes widened in alarm at her words and McCoy cursed as they rushed out toward the medbay.

"Well at least Gary seems to be mostly...okay," Rose's voice trailed off as they hurried into the bay and saw Gary making various objects float around him while several nurses cowered away.

"Rose!" Gary said brightly. His eyes were an unnatural silver and his tone was almost manic. "You came to visit me! Isn't that sweet? So, listen, I was thinking, I know you turned me down in the Academy 'cause you wanted to focus on your studies but how 'bout that date?"

Spock glanced briefly at her while Rose smiled tightly at Gary, feeling a bit like she was trapped in a cage with a hungry tiger. "I'm sorry Gary, but I promised myself I wouldn't get involved with anyone serving on the ship. Favouritism and stuff, you know? Uh, how are you doing that?"

Gary grinned at her. "Isn't it awesome? I just think and then it happens."

"There's nothing out of the ordinary with him Rose," McCoy frowned as he put down the tricorder he'd been using. Rose gave him a disbelieving look, gesturing at the flying objects.

"What's this then?" She hissed at him and he shrugged helplessly at her.

"Oh, by the way Rose," Gary inserted causally. "There's something wrong with the impulse engines, if you aren't careful, they'll blow and take us all with them. I'm sure Mr. Scott'll be able to tell you everything."

Anxiousness welling up inside, Rose raised her comm to her lips and called Scotty. He confirmed Gary's warning. After ordering that Gary be kept under close watch, Rose walked out with Spock at her heels.

She hurried to her ready room, once inside, Spock stood patiently while she paced tensely. "I don't like this," she told him. "He's acting out of character and gaining abilities with dangerous potential, I _really_ don't like this."

"I attempted to mind-meld with him earlier. There was nothing there, no consciousness or personality. Whatever that is, it is not Gary Mitchell, Captain," Spock told her flatly. "Logically, we have two options. Either we must kill him or maroon him."

She stopped pacing and to look at her First. It was ironic that she was discussing marooning one of her officers with him given their history. "I won't kill him without trying to save him."

Spock nodded. "Very well, ma'am. If I may suggest, Delta Vega II is only an hour away at warp three. It also has a lithium station we can use to repair the ship."

Rose raised a sardonic eyebrow at the familiar name and nodded. "See to it for me, please." Spock nodded respectfully before leaving and Rose sat down to bury her head in her hands.

* * *

She woke on Delta Vega to find herself lying on hard rock. Her memories rushed back to her, arriving at Delta Vega, splitting up from Spock and the two security officers, Gary attacking her.

"How're ya feeling, Rosie?" Gary asked cheerily a he pushed herself up. Rose eyed him warily, she'd met a fair amount of crazies in her years and Gary definitely looked insane.

"Gary," she said slowly. "What did you do?"

He tossed her an apple that he'd been tossing up and down casually. "Apple? I know there your favourite. Stay with me and you can have as many as you like, whenever you like."

"Gary," she reached discreetly for her phaser. "I'm really sorry about this, I really am." She quickly fired three shots at him in quick succession only to gasp in surprise when they stopped in mid-air.

"Oh Rose," Gary laughed coldly. "Don't you understand? You can't kill a god! And I'm a god now, you see." his monologue was abruptly cut by two sharp zings. Spock hurried up, lowering his sidearm.

"Captain, I apologize for my lateness. Are you harmed?" Rose thought she saw a dark look flash across his face as she shook her head and rose shakily to her feet.

"No, I'm fine. Gary-"

"Rose," the wounded man groaned from his place on the ground. When Rose looked, she saw his eyes were back to normal. "Please," he begged. "Before it, takes over, again."

She tightened her mouth and raised her weapon. "I really am sorry Gary." He nodded in acceptance and she pulled the trigger.

"Captain?"

She nodded. "Let's go home Spock."


	3. Interlude 1: Conversations with Yourself

**Interlude One**

 **Conversations With Yourself**

In a twist of luck, Rosalyn was working on her PADD when Rose called and answered immediately. The elder woman's black eyes softened instantly at her counterpart's griefstricken expression.

"Who'd you lose?" She asked gently and Rose's shoulders slumped at the understanding in her voice.

"Am I that obvious?"

Rosalyn smiled sympathetically, shaking her head. "I was a Captain for over a decade," she pointed out. "I lost a lot of people. Never gets easier, I'm afraid. What happened?"

"We picked up a distress signal from the USS Valiant," Rose began only for Rosalyn to interrupt.

"You crossed the edge of the galaxy, several crewmembers with high ESP ratings collapsed, most dying but one or two of them surviving and becoming godlike, the situation declining until they lost themselves completely and you were forced to kill them for the safety of the rest of the ship. Am I right?"

Rose nodded. "It was Gary Mitchell," she added and Rosalyn sighed heavily.

"Happened to me as well but later of course. How're you holding up?"

Rose rubbed her temples. "It's the first time people under my command have been killed. Everyone keeps saying that it wasn't my fault but I still gave the order to cross out of the galaxy. I was the one to kill him."

"I know," Rosalyn murmured. "And I get what you're feeling. But you need to accept it. You have to use it to improve yourself as a Captain. Space is dangerous and mysterious. There's no way to prevent casualties completely, only to minimize them. You can only do that by learning from your mistake. Just be sure not to start doubting yourself, if you hesitate and don't trust your instincts, more will die, not less. The good of the many outweighs the good of the few. It's a painful lesson but an important one."

Some might have thought it was odd but Rose felt a lot better after Rosalyn's advice than she had after Bones' awkward "it wasn't your fault, Rose."

"Thanks," she said before suddenly snorting at a passing thought.

"What?" Rosalyn cocked her head in a way that reminded Rose of Spock.

"I was just thinking how narcissistic it is that I enjoy speaking to myself so much," Rose explained. Rosalyn shrugged.

"We're the same at the core of it," she pointed out. "I have mostly the same opinions as you do, I know what will and won't help. You don't need to hear that it wasn't your fault, you need someone to understand and to find something that you can actually do to let you make up for it as much as possible. You're not gonna forget what happened and frankly, I'd be upset if you did, but you can honour them by saving as many lives as possible."

Rose nodded at her. "Thanks," she said before changing the subject. "How's everything at the colony going?"

Rosalyn had somehow gotten herself made a member of the current Admirality and then named head of Starfleet's base on the Vulcan colony. She'd also managed to get her Bones made chief of the hospital there too.

Rose wasn't sure how but she suspected that Rosalyn had probably blackmailed them into it somehow. Telepathy was always a handy thing when you wanted to 'convince' someone to be on your side.

"It's as good as can be expected," Rosalyn shrugged. She bit her lip for a second. "Actually, Spock, Bones and I have adopted a young orphan. We knew her counterpart in our reality and it would've been, difficult, for her to be adopted by others."

Rose blinked in surprise at the news. "Oh, wow. Congratulations, I suppose. What's her name, and why would it be difficult for her to be adopted by someone else?" She asked.

Rosalyn gave a slightly tense smile. "Saavik. She's half-Vulcan, half-Romulan."

"Half- _Romulan_? How in Four Deities' names?"

"The Romulans had a project going on called the Hellguard Project on one of their colonies," Rosalyn's jaw was tense and there was anger in her eyes. "They used a bunch of crash-landed Vulcans for reproductive services to try and gain their telepathy and weaponize it via the children. For us, it was only discovered after over a decade I think, but I informed the Admirality about it a month ago. A team was sent immediately of course, given the circumstances.

It had only started a year and a half-ago and Saavik was the first to survive. The Vulcans have all been reunited with their families but none of them wanted Saavik and her mother died in birth so when Spock recognized her we decided to take her. It's odd though, Saavik from our timeline was born in 2264 and the youngest of the children."

"Wow," Rose repeated. "That's just wow. So, the three of you are gonna raise her then?"

Rosalyn nodded her smile slightly pained. "Not the first child I've raised."

"Anything else going on?" Rose asked quickly to change the subject and saw hesitation on her counterpart's face. "What? What is it?"

"Nothing urgent," Rosalyn hastily reassured her. "there's just something I'm investigating. It might not be a worry here, but if it is, I'm going to stop it."

"What is it you're investigating?" Rose asked suspiciously. Rosalyn pulled a hand through her grey-blonde hair. It was surprising how young she looked at 85 years old but a combination of space radiation exposure in the womb and being stuck in some 'space ribbon' with her Bones for seventy years

"When I'm done checking this out, then I will tell you what it is." She promised and Rose felt bad at the tired look in her other self's eyes. "I wanted to look earlier but I couldn't get the chance. I will tell you though, if it pans out or not."

"Okay," Rose agreed. "Give my regards to your men. I'll comm you both again soon I hope. You can introduce me to Saavik."

The Admiral flashed a grin, her hazel eyes brightening a bit. "'Course. Enjoy your travels. They're some of the best days of your life, speaking from experience."

Rose nodded again and they both waved before the screen went black and she sat back with a sigh. She felt better after the talk. A knock came at the door and she groaned quietly at the thought of having to do anything except rest for the remainder of the night.

"Come in," she called, sitting up straighter. Spock walked into the room, his usual blank expression on. "Ah," she murmured. "Mr. Spock. Is there something you needed?"

Spock shook his head. "No Captain. I simply," he faltered for a second, and she felt a hint of nervousness coming from behind his shields before continuing. "I know that you frequently play chess with the computer. Mr. Sulu informed me that you beat everyone else and they would no longer engage you in a game."

Rose leaned forward slightly, feeling hopeful. "Yes, that's right. Are you offering to play a game Mr. Spock?"

Spock dipped his head. "I am."

Rose grinned in delight, both at the prospect of playing an actual person for once and at the small progress she seemed to have made with her First Officer. "Sounds great," she told him sincerely. "I'll set up my board."

Maybe the whole, "epic friendship" thing would work out after all.


	4. An Admiral's Opinions

**Disclaimer: TOS belonged to Gene Roddenberry and is now the property of his heir (whomever that may be.) AOS belongs to J.J. Abrams.**

 **AN: The David Kirk in this is Sam and Aurelan's second son. According to canon, Peter was their youngest and they had two elder boys. In this, instead of Jim and Carol being David's parents, Sam and Aurelan are.**

 **Chapter 3**

 **An Admiral's Opinions**

Rosalyn sat up and kicked off the thin sheet. After two infants and twelve grandchildren and great-grandchildren, she responded automatically to the sounds of an upset child. She stumbled into the adjoining room that was serving as Saavik's nursery.

The baby reached toward her, projecting feelings of loneliness along the parental bond that connected them. Rosalyn hushed her gently, sending the baby love and protection as she headed out of the bedrooms toward the kitchen to make up a bottle. She found it already occupied by Amanda, a cup of tea in her hands. The other woman looked up and gave her a weak smile.

"Rosalyn," she greeted her. The Admiral gave a tired nod as she strode to the counter to prep the bottle, Saavik balanced on her hip.

"The men got called away again, I suppose?" She asked, Amanda nodding in reply.

"Another collapse," she reported grimly. She was silent for a moment as she watched Rosalyn prepare the bottle whilst juggling her adopted daughter with the ease of long practice.

"You're very familiar with that routine." The question hung unspoken in the air. Rosalyn sighed as she pressed the bottle to Saavik's small green lips. The baby quickly grabbed it and started suckling hard.

"My brother had three boys," she began after a moment, a distant look in her eyes. "James, David and Peter. When he and Aurelan died, Jamie was twelve and at school, David was six and Peter was five. I got custody of them.

Fought damn hard to keep them with me on the ship until they were old enough to go to boarding shool. I loved Sam and Aurie but David and Peter were more mine than theirs after a few years. I adopted Joanna when she was thirteen after marrying Bones and I also gave birth to two. T'Amara and Samek. Tammy and Sammy.

All of them had at least one kid except David and most of them had their own families by the time we arrived here."

Amanda bowed her head for a moment before hesitating.

Rosalyn raised a brow in an imitation of her Vulcan husband. "Spit it out," she said. "I won't bite your head off."

"How," Amanda faltered before continuing. "How did you raise T'Amara and Samek?"

Rosalyn pursed her lips, patting Saavik's back to burp her. "Honestly? We tried to give equal attention to all sides of their heritage but we ended up favouring their human sides. Bones and I were dead set against certain things, like them doing the _kahs-wan_ and none of us wanted to arrange a marriage for them after the mess when Spock had his first _Pon Farr_. And with three other kids whose genes were either fully or mostly human." She trailed off, shrugging. She had regrets of course but nothing to do with how they had raised the children. Her children had all been fantastic people and Rosalyn could never be prouder of any of them.

Amanda nodded looking away. "You don't like me much do you?" She asked abruptly. Rosalyn frowned.

"It's not that I don't _like_ you," the Admiral corrected. "I think your a lovely woman actually. Very clever. But I disapprove of your _actions_. You should have taught Spock to be proud of his heritage, not ashamed. He suffered for years because you didn't care enough to defy your husband and protect your children properly. You even raised Michael, a full human, the Vulcan way with no acknowledgement of the fact that she had no Vulcan heritage at all save for reading her Alice in Wonderland. As a mother, your obligations are, above all, to your children and you failed in your responsibilities to them.

You didn't stop Sarek from disowning Sybok because he wanted to follow his mother's path, you didn't intercede to protect Spock from being bullied or teach him that having emotions is something that even Vulcans do.

Just because they control, doesn't mean they don't have them, as you well know. Because you let Spock believe that he was failure for having emotions and that his heritage was negative, he suffered terribly. Our youngest child was a teenager by the time he came to terms with himself. He left us for several years because he was so ashamed of his love for his own spouses and children.

And Michael knows nothing about her birth family. I doubt she even knows their first names. She was targeted by extremists too wasn't she? Not to mention her struggle to keep up with her peers in academics and Sarek ruining her chances to join the Vulcan Expedition Group.

I can't understand how you could stand back and allow any of that. Nor can I approve of how you seem to do nothing but obey your husband. Terran women fought and died for decades to get their rights and you walk a step behind your husband at all times. I can't understand or approve of any of the actions you've taken because however badly you suffered, Spock had it worse."

Amanda swallowed and looked at the ground. "I'm not proud of it," she defended. "And I did _try_ to protect him but his humanity was why he was bullied and everyone except me told him that it was shameful."

"And it never occurred to you to move to somewhere less xenophobic?" Rosalyn's tone was sharp and she continued to send feelings of comfort and safety to Saavik, shielding her skillfully from the anger Rosalyn felt. "Of course not. That would have damaged Sarek's career." She shook her head.

"I don't know what you were thinking or going through," she told her alternate mother-in-law frankly. "So I know I have no right to judge. But in no way do I understand how you could do that to any of the children you raised. You most certainly had no right to completely separate Michael from her people and heritage. Do you really think her birth parents would've wanted her to be raised that way? In fact, given their human heritage, you're very lucky you didn't kill Spock and Michael by emotionally neglecting them."

Amanda was whitefaced as she walked out without another word and Rosalyn felt a twinge of regret at her harshness. But she'd said the truth as she knew it. She couldn't understand or support Amanda's actions, either as a mother or a wife.

Saavik sighed and Rosalyn glanced down, realising she was asleep. Shifting the baby carefully, she began making her way back to the nursery.

* * *

The next day she woke and quickly got Saavik dressed for the day before heading down to the kitchen, her thoughts full of her upcoming day. She needed to contact the High Council about the newest housing problems, she was due to comm the Admirality at thirteen hundred hours for a meeting and of course, she had her personal project.

Her thoughts were abruptly cut off by the sight of her bondmates, her imzadis standing silently in the kitchen. A lump formed in her throat at the awkward tension in the room.

Once, the thought of her feeling unsettled in the presence of either of her men would've been ridiculous to her. Then Gol had happened. Spock had left her, Bones and worst of all their children to attempt Kolinahr. Rosalyn had never quite managed to fully forgive him for breaking their family's hearts.

After his return and death, they'd been too relieved to have him back to dare rocking the boat by talking through everything that had happened.

Then Rose had gotten sucked into the Nexus, Bones had followed her by accident two years later and when they'd finally escaped, seventy years had passed, Joanna and Rose's nephews were all gone save Peter who was on his deathbed and Spock had been without them longer then they'd even known each other.

"We never talked about it," she realized, eyes widening slightly. Spock and Bones both looked at her in confused concern.

"About what?" Bones asked, stepping forward to take Saavik from her arms.

"Any of it," she breathed. "Spock leaving us for Kolinahr, Spock dying. Us getting stuck in the Nexus and," she faltered for a second, pain stabbing her in the heart for the millionth time. "Jo and the boys. I'm looking for Kodos and Lenore," she added, seeing dismay flash across their faces and feeling their distress and worry for her through the bond. "I should've come to you about it but I didn't even think about it. "

They stared at her in blatant dismay and Rose wasn't even surprised when her comm beeped, interrupting the moment. Her shoulders slumped as she answered, listening to her aid, Lt. Kreek, telling her she was needed for a conference call with the Defiant's Captain about the next supplies delivery. After agreeing to be there soon she clicked off her comm and looked squarely at her husbands.

"We need to talk," she insisted stubbornly. "And _soon_. There's no point in holding on to nothing for nothing more than memories. It'll only destroy us."

She made her way to the door but paused to throw over her shoulder. "And for the love of the Four Deities, you both need to start helping with Saavik. I'm too old to raise a kid single-handedly."


	5. Mudd and his Women

**Disclaimer: Star Trek the Original Series belonged to Gene Roddenberry. The Alternate Original Series is property of J.J. Abrams. Most of this is taken directly from TOS: Season 1 Episode 3: Mudd's Women**

 **Chapter Four**

 **Mudd and his Women**

 _Captain's log, Stardate 2258.259._

 _The U.S.S. Enterprise is currently in pursuit of an unidentified vessel._

* * *

"There he is, ma'am," Sulu pointed. "Centre screen. Still trying to run away from us, ma'am."

Rose frowned, leaning forward slightly. "Don't lose him, Mister Sulu."

"No, ma'am."

Rose turned to her Science Officer. "Earth ship, Mister Spock?" She asked.

Spock glanced back at her from his station. "Difficult to say, Captain," he answered. "We're getting no registration beam from it."

"If it is," Scotty pointed out. "He'll soon overload his engines."

"Ma'am, he's pushing his engines too hard," Spock announced. Rose clenched her jaw as she glanced back at the screen.

"Changing course again," Sulu reported. "He knows we're after him all right."

"Stay with him, Mister Sulu," Rose ordered. "Communication?"

"I've tried all frequencies," Uhura reported. "He refuses to answer. Unless he's not receiving us."

"He's receiving us alright," Rose said darkly, ignoring Uhura's refusal to use her title. As long as she didn't let it interfere with her duties Rose would put off reprimanding her (again), for after the mission was over.

"Approaching an asteroid belt, Captain," Spock called over his shoulder. "Schiller rating three five."

"Deflectors on, Mister Chekov," Rose ordered coolly.

"He's seen the asteroids too, ma'am," Sulu added, Rose nodding as she studied the screen calmly.

"Stay with him," she demanded. "He'll try to lose us in them."

"If one hits him," Sulu began to warn and Spock swiftly him cut off.

"Sensor reading on the vessel. I make it out as a small class J cargo ship, and his engines are super-heating."

"Try to warn him," Rose instructed Uhura quickly. "If he loses power now," her voice trailed off.

"Zere go 'is engines, ma'am," Chekov warned.

"He's drifting into the asteroid belt, Captain." Sulu said tensely. This was hardly the worst scenario they had ever been, not even close but adrenaline was beginning to surge anyway.

"'e's had it," Chekov reported. "Unless ve put our deflector screen avround him."

"Captain, if we try, we'll overload our own engines," Scotty argued. "He's too far away."

Rose ignored him. "Cover him with our deflector screen, Mister Chekov. Scotty, Spock, stand by in the transporter room."

"Aye, ma'am," Scotty agreed as they left quickly.

"Ve're protecting 'im, ma'am. Ve von't be able to hold it for long."

"We're overloading, Captain," Sulu called. "Engine temperatures climbing!"

Gaila's voice came over the comm from engineering. "This is the Engine room. Temperatures are passing the danger line."

"Our deflector screen ees veakening, ma'am," Chekov called urgently. "Ve can't protect zem much longer." The lights flickerered to emphasize their warnings.

"That was one of our lithium crystal circuits, ma'am," Sulu added.

Rose quickly hit the comm. "Bridge to transporter room. If you don't start beaming that crew over soon-"

"They're not answering our signal," Scotty replied. "There's nothing to lock onto."

"Another circuit, ma'am," Sulu warned as another light disappeared. Rose kept any of her concern from touching her face.

"I'm getting a distress signal call from them," Uhura called briskly, pressing various buttons.

"Scotty, we're getting a distress signal," Rose said quickly into the comm.

"We're locked onto something, Captain," Scotty answered.

"Another lithium circuit," Sulu reported. "Now supplementing with battery power, ma'am."

"Scotty, how many of them did you get aboard?"

"Only one, ma'am," Scotty answered. "But we've locked onto three more."

"Zere she goes."

"Asteroid hit him dead centre," Sulu added grimly.

Rose closed her eyes and pressed the comm again. "Bridge to transporter room. Their vessel has been hit by an asteroid. It's gone. Did you get the crew off?"

"Not yet, ma'am, but we've hooked onto something."

Rose frowned after several moments of silence. "Kirk to transporter room. Report." She repeated herself a second later, concern creeping into her voice. "Bridge to transporter room."

Ve're clearing the asteroid belt now, Captain," Chekov told her and she nodded swiftly.

"Deflector screen down, Mister Chekov," Rose ordered. "Save the power." She turned back to the comm, a frown on her face. "Captain to transporter room. Are you reading me or not, Mister Scott? Bridge to transporter room. How many did we get off?"

Scotty was dazed when he finally answered her. "Oh, er, four in all, ma'am."

Rose stood. "If that captain can walk, I want him in my office immediately. Actually," she corrected herself, anger beginning to rise. "I want him there whether he can walk or not. Kirk out."

* * *

Rose waited in her office with her arms crossed and a cool look she reserved for idiots or anyone that endangered her ship or crewmen on her face. She called out permission to enter in a tight voice when she finally heard the sharp rap belonging to Spock.

Rose hid a grimace of distaste as they entered. The cargo ship captain had practically no shields at all and his sleaziness made her feel mildly ill. He made no attempt to hide the fact that he was checking her out and she took several subtle breaths to steady her temper. There was also something strange coming from the women trailing after him. She narrowed her eyes suspiciously.

"The Commander of the transport to see you, Captain." Spock told her in his usual calm tone.

"Good," Rose nodded. "Now, what exactly-"

One of the women cut her off and she felt her jaw tense in irritation again.

"Hello."

"And the ladies?" Rose asked the 'captain', ignoring the interruption as best she could. "Is this your crew, Captain?"

The man chuckled slightly. "Well, no, Captain. This is me cargo."

Rose's eyes narrowed. "Your _cargo_?" She demanded furiously. "Are you confessing to slave trafficking in Federation space, Captain Whatever-your-name-is? And explain why you refused to answer a starship's hails."

The man scowled at her and Rose gritted her teeth at the feelings of disrepect and contempt he had for her.

"Well, how the devil am I supposed to know this is a starship, Captain? Here I am with a cargo of young lovelies, not slaves, just willing passengers. A strange ship comes up alongside. Well. naturally I did my best to evade you. And starship Captain or no, you exceeded your authority when you drove me and mine into a shower of asteroids."

"Your name, sir." Rose demanded crisply, ignoring his disrespect as best she could.

"Walsh," the man huffed. "Leo Walsh. You destroyed me ship, Captain."

Rose briefly wondered if he actually thought she would believe his blatant lies, even if she were psi-null. "Mister Walsh, I'm convening a ship's hearing on your actions. Mister Spock will supply you with any legal information you may need for your defense."

Spock nodded in acknowledgement of her orders.

'Walsh' huffed at her. "You're a hard-nosed one, Captain."

Rose looked back at him coolly. "And you're a liar, Mister Walsh. I think we both understand each other. Security! Escort Mister Walsh to his quarters. Confine him there. Oh," a grim thought occurred to her. "And keep Lt. Gaila away from them."

* * *

 _Captain's log, Stardate 2258.259._

 _We've taken aboard from unregistered transport vessel its captain and, and three unusual females. These women have a mysterious magnetic effect on certain members of my crew, excluding Mister Spock and a few others thankfully. The supposed 'Captain Leo Walsh' claims they are his 'cargo' and I sense something strange from their psychic waves. Explanation unknown at present. I have ordered a ship's hearing to be convened against Captain Walsh. I'm concerned about the almost-hypnotic effect produced by the women._

The comm buzzed, interrupting her thoughts. "Kirk here," she briskly answered.

"You're needed on the bridge Captain," Spock told her. She sighed and stood, patting her low-twisted chignon to flatten any stray hairs. She hated to look anything less than perfect. It reminded her of, _back then_.

"Acknowledged. I'll be there in a minute."

* * *

"What is it, Mister Spock?" She asked when she stepped onto the bridge and walked over to him and Scotty.

She frowned at the look in his eyes. His face was emotionless but she found his eyes as easy to read as a book. It was a relief that they had gotten past their initial impressions of each other. They made an excellent team, as their counterparts had said they would.

"The entire ship's power is feeding through one lithium crystal." He reported and Rose pursed her lips.

"Well, switch to by-pass circuits," she suggested, tucking a hair behind her ear. This time Scotty cut in.

"We burned 'em all out when we super-heated. That jackass Walsh not only wrecked his vessel, but damaged ours too in saving his worthless skin."

Rose cursed mentally as she answered him. "If it makes you feel any better, Scotty, that's one worthless jackass that we're going to see skinned."

Scotty nodded. "But it's darn frustrating. Almost a million gross tons of vessel depending on a hunk of crystal the size of my fist."

"And that crystal won't hold up," Spock added. "Not pulling all our power through it."

Kirk raised an eyebrow. "Well, what's your suggestion then Mister Spock?"

Spock was quiet for a moment while he considered his answer. "There's a lithium mining operation on Rigel 12. High-grade ore, I've heard."

"Location and distance?"

"Mister Chekov has the course," he replied. "Less than two day's travel."

"The make for Rigel 12, Mister Spock," Rose ordered.

Spock nodded, turning to stride to the helm. "Rigel 12, Mister Chekov. You have the course."

Afterwards, he returned to her side and pulled her slightly away from the others.

"Yes?" She asked him in a low tone. "What is it?"

"I am concerned about the effects of the on the crewmembers attracted to the female species. The women from Walsh's ship appear to have a seductive effect on them."

Rose frowned. "I agree with you," she told him. "But I don't know what to do about it. I don't think they're truly dangerous. I don't sense any violence from them and Walsh is definitely a sleaze but I don't think he has the guts to actually hurt anyone. Still, keep an eye on them."

Spock nodded then hesitated.

Rose looked at him inquiringly. "Is there something else?"

"What is, a sleaze?" Spock asked, an uncertain look in his eyes.

Rose broke into her first smile all day. "It means he's untrustworthy and immoral. Corrupt."

"Ah," Spock nodded. "I see."

"Now," Rose changed the subject. "I want to start this trial and get it over with. I'm going to consider adding human trafficking to the charges, depending on what happens in the hearing. I know he claimed they're willing and I couldn't sense any reluctance from them but something is definitely off about it all."

Spock nodded. "Do you wish me to accompany you?" He asked.

Rose nodded at him. "Yes, I do." She gave the conn to Scotty as they made their way to the lift.

* * *

Rose took a deep breath before beginning to preside over her first ever hearing.

"This hearing is convened, Stardate 2258.259, on board the starship U.S.S. Enterprise. Formal hearing against transport Captain Leo Walsh. Start computer.

"State your name for the record," Spock ordered calmly.

"Leo Francis Walsh," the man smirked smugly. His smile faltered at the computer's beep of "Incorrect."

Spock raised a pointed eyebrow. "Your correct name."

The man shifted uncomfortably and Rose hid a grimace at feelings of mocking coming from him. "Gentlemen, surely you're not going to take the word of a soulless mechanical device over that of a real flesh and blood man," he protested.

"State your correct name for the record," Spock repeated, and Rose hid a smirk at the sense of irritation coming from her First.

"Harry Mudd." The captain scowled grumpily.

"Incorrect." The computer beeped again and Rose gave a stern look to the man.

"Harcourt Fenton Mudd," he finally gritted out, an unhappy grimace on his face.

"Any past offenses, Mister Mudd?" Spock inquired.

Mudd looked indignant. "Of course not. Gentlemen, I'm simply an honest businessman."

Rose didn't need the computer's third "Incorrect," or her abilities to know he was lying through his teeth.

Mudd glared bitterly at it. "Blast that tin-plated pot," he hissed.

"Computer," Rose spoke up. "Bring up the full record of Harcourt Fenton Mudd."

"Full data coming on screen," the machine agreed.

"If it can read our minds, too," the dark-haired women hissed at Mudd and Rose narrowed her eyes suspiciously at the feeling of nervousness coming from her.

Mudd gave her a reassuring look. "It can't, darling. It can't. Just what's on the record."

"Offense record," the computer finally began to speak. "Smuggling. Sentence suspended. Transport of stolen goods. Purchase of space vessel with counterfeit currency. Sentences, psychiatric treatment, effectiveness disputed."

"Quite the history you have Mr. Mudd," Rose said dryly. She wasn't about to give him the title of 'Captain', he certainly didn't deserve it. "And you can add this to it now. You're charged with galaxy travel without a flight plan, without an identification beam, and failure to answer a starship's signal, thus effecting a menace to navigation."

"What?" Mudd demanded indignantly. "My tiny ship in this immense galaxy a menace to navigation?"

"You're also charged with operation of a vessel without a master's license," Rose added without paying him any attention.

"Untrue!" Mudd protested. "I have a master's license."

"Incorrect," the computer refuted. "Master's license revoked Stardate 2256.14."

This time Rose didn't bother hiding her rolling eyes as Mudd sheepishly corrected himself.

"All right," he began. "Well, it's like this you see. Very simply, Leo Walsh, who was to be my captain on this trip, passed away suddenly. Well, I had no choice but to take out his ship me own self. I assumed Leo's name out of courtesy to him. In memoriam, as it were. A fine, fine man, alas, gone to his reward."

"Destination and purpose of journey?" Rose interrogated.

"Planet Ophiuchus 3," Mudd told her. "Wiving settlers."

Rose looked up from her PADD to stare at him in disbelief. "Come again, Mister Mudd. You do what?"

"I recruit wives for settlers," Mudd explained. "A difficult but satisfying task."

"Data on witnesses."

"No data."

"Computer, go to sensor probe," Rose shoved down her rising frustration. "Any unusual readings?"

"No decipherable reading on females," chirped after a moment. "However, unusual reading on certain crewmembers, predominantly male. Detecting high respiration patterns, perspiration rate up, heartbeat rapid, blood pressure higher than normal."

"Er, that's sufficient," Rose said hastily, casting a glance back at the embarrassed security guards. "Strike that from the record."

"You see, it's just as I told you," Mudd claimed. "Three lovely ladies destined for frontier planets to be the companions of lonely men, to supply that warmth of a human touch that's so desperately needed. A wife, a home, a family. Captain, Mister Spock, I look upon this work as a sacred public trust. I've devoted me whole life to it."

"Incorrect," beeped the computer yet again and Rose began to seriously consider whether or not the man was a compulsive liar.

"Well, I'm about to start devoting my entire life to it."

Rose turned to glance at the three women, frown deepening at the anxiousness radiating from them. "Did you ladies come voluntarily?"

"Well, of course!" Mudd exclaimed, gesturing at the women. "Now, for example, Ruthie here comes from a pelagic planet, sea ranchers. Magda there from the helium experimental station."

"It's the same story for all of us, Captain," the third woman piped up. "No men. Mine was a farm planet with automated machines for company and two brothers to cook for, mend their clothes, canal mud a foot thick on their boots every time they walked in."

"Fine, Evie. Fine."

"It's not fine!" Eve insisted. "We've got men willing to be our husbands waiting for us, and you're taking us in the opposite direction! Staring at us like we were Saturnius harem girls or something."

"That's enough, Evie." Mudd told her warningly.

"The only charges are against Mister Mudd," Rose cut in sternly.

She felt a surge of distaste though she wasn't sure who she was most annoyed at. Mudd or the three women who seemed to be throwbacks to Ancient Earth. There was a lot more opportunities for women in the galaxy than marrying some man they'd never spoken to before in their lives. Did they even know their fiancés' names?

"Illegal operation of a vessel. Do you have any defence to offer?"

"Only heaven's own truth, which I've just given you." Mudd declared dramatically and Rose scoffed.

"The hearing is closed. Mister Mudd to be handed over to the legal authorities at our earliest opportunity," she announced briskly, rising to her feet.

"And what about us?" Eve demanded indignantly. She scrambled up and rushed to grab Rose desperately. The Betazoid hybrid barely managed to reinforce her shields in time. "What happens to us? Help us, please. All of us."

Rose inhaled. "Miss McHuron, have you properly considered the ramifications of what you're doing? You know nothing about these men you want to marry and will have no support or regular family contact-"

Scotty's voice came over the comm, sounding urgent. "Our last crystal, ma'am! It's gone."

"Captain Kirk," Sulu cut in. "Engineering section reports our entire life-support system is now on batteries."

Rose instantly turned away her attention from the 'passengers'. "Mister Spock, with me. Miss McHuron, would you mind? Mister Spock, will you contact the miners on Rigel 12? Notify them that we'll need the lithium crystals immediately upon arrival."

Spock nodded and they both strode out quickly.

* * *

 _Captain's log, Stardate 2258.260: Position, fourteen hours out of Rigel 12. We're on auxiliary impulse engines. Fuel low, barely sufficient to achieve orbit over the planet. Lithium replacements are now imperative. The effect of Mudd's women on my crew continues to grow, still totally unexplained. Harry Mudd is confined to his quarters under guard._

"I said I wanted a preorbital course, Mister Chekov," Rose ordered again, frowning in disapproval at having to repeat herself.

Chekov's head was lowered sheepishly as he acknowledged her.

"That's to be the _last_ time I have to give an order twice, gentlemen," Rose announced briskly as she stood to walk over to Scotty. "We're down to battery power, and we're low on that." She whispered to him, a wrinkle of concern in her eyebrow.

Scotty shrugged unhappily. "It'll get us to Rigel 12, ma'am, but it'll be a shaky orbit."

"Just hang us in long enough to get six crystals, Scotty," Rose patted his shoulder. "That's all we need."

"Aye," the engineer agreed. "I'll get ya there."  
The elevator opened and Kirk quickly left Scotty to head over to her CMO. "It's ridiculous," she hissed at him. "What are we running here? A starship or some sort of stripclub? Did you examine the women?"

Bones shook his head. "They refused."

"Well, come on, you're the doctor," the captain protested. "What is it? There's something wrong about those girls. Are they seriously that beautiful that they can make an entire crew of battle-tested officers fall over themselves with lust? They are quite lovely, I'll admit."

Rose didn't discriminate between genders. Actually, she preferred women most of the time.

"Are they, Rose?" McCoy raised a finger. "Are they _actually_ more beautiful, pound for pound, measurement for measurement, than any other women you've known? On this ship even? Or is it that they just, well, _act_ beautiful. No." He shook his head agitatedly. "Strike that, strike that."

"What are they then?"

"You mean are they alien illusions? That sort of thing?"

"I asked you first," Rose retorted.

McCoy shook his head again. "No, an alien smart enough to pull this could also keep my medical scanner from going beep!"

Rose frowned. "I don't follow you," she admitted, her frown deepening at McCoy's helpless shrug.

"I don't either."

* * *

A little under a day later found Rose and Spock waiting in her office for the arrival of the miners. Rose was sorting through some paperwork on Mudd's arrest on her PADD while they did so. She wanted off her ship as soon as they reached the nearest Starbase.

Spock held a ruined lithium crystal in his hand. "Even cracked and burned," he mused. "They are still beautiful. Destroying them was a shame."

Rose shook her head. "Hardly," she responded. "It was ruin a few objects or let four people die. Can't say I'd mourn for Mudd though. His name definitely suits his personality."

A security member Rose recognized as Lt. Latimer knocked and stuck his head in. "Mining Chief Childress and Mister Gossett," he introduced the two gruff looking men who'd entered.

Rose stood, holding out a hand politely. "Much obliged, sirs," she told them. "I'm Captain Rosalind Kirk, this my First Officer, Commander Spock."

She pursed her lips slightly when the chief ignored her hand, skillfully covering her discomfort at both the blatant feelings of lust the two were sending towards her and the feeling of greed she was getting from them.

"Let's get right down to business," Childress declared. "You want lithium crystals and we've got them."

Rose nodded curtly, refusing to be intimidated by the man. "Fine. I'm authorized to pay an equitable price."

Her eyes narrowed at the leacherous smirk on Childress' face.

"We're not sure they're for sale, Captain. We might prefer a swap."

"What did you have in mind?" Rose's voice was cold and anyone who knew her would know she losing what little patience she had left after having Harry Mudd on board for over two days.

"Mudd's women," Childress declared. Rose's scowl deepened when Gossett cut in, preventing her instant refusal.

"If we like them o' course. We want to have a look at them first."

"Right. Trot them out, Captain," Childress agreed with a nod. "Oh, and Harry Mudd. Either way, I've agreed to have him released. Charges dropped."

"Trot them out?" Rose repeated with a scoff. "They're women, sirs." Contempt laced her voice as she stared at the two miners in disgust. "Not horses at an eighteenth century Earth auction. The Federation doesn't sell or _swap_ sentient beings. And Mudd is not being released under any circumstances. I have a responsibility to uphold the law. A law that Mudd was in violation of. Your threats won't work on me."

Childress smirked arrogantly at her and she felt loathing rise inside her chest. If not for her mental training she'd probably have decked him by now.

"You've got no choice, Kirk," he arrogantly declared. "You beam a landing party down, and you won't find one blessed crystal."

Rose shook her head curtly. "No deal. You're a long way out in space, gentlemen. You'll need medical help, cargo runs, starship protection. You want to consider those facts too?"

Left unsaid was the Captain who'd saved the Federation was a helluvalot more important than three replaceable miners.

The door slid open again, Rose's anger increasing at the sight of Mudd sauntering confidently inside, the three women following him obediently.

"Come along, ladies, come along," Mudd sang. "You must be Ben Childress. Come on now, girls, come on."

Ruth strutted over to Gossett, wrapping her arms around his neck. "And _you_ must be Herm Gossett."

Gossett grinned. "Yes, I reckon I am."

"One thing I'll say for you, Mudd, you're not a liar," Childress looked the women over lustfully. "Ladies, you are _welcome_."

"It's still no deal," Rose denied furiously, glowering at the group. Spock leaned over to whisper in her ear softly.

"Conserving batteries, ma'am. Half power."

Mudd smiled smugly at her. "I'm told they have only three days of orbit left before they start spiraling in. I do hate to see you suffering such a situation, Captain, but truth is truth, and the sad fact is you will deal. Sooner or later, you'll have to."

* * *

A day, Eve running into a sandstorm, the Venus pill revelation and six lithium crystals later, Rose was sullenly filling out her report in her quarters.

"Come," she called curtly at the knock. She relaxed slightly when the comforting mental presences of Bones and Spock entered.

"Hey," she greeted them, leaning back in her chair and rubbing the back of her neck. "Any new problems? Don't tell me, I don't want to know."

Spock hesitated uncertainly for a moment while Bones simply snorted. "Nah," he assured her. "Everything's fine. Just came to check on you."

Rose gave a tired smile. "Thanks," she fell quiet for a moment before speaking abruptly. "I just don't get it!"

Spock cocked his head to the side. "Perhaps we can help you 'get it'," he offered. Rose pushed herself to her feet and began pacing.

"They weren't stupid women," she tugged her hair loose from its twist and pulled at the knots. "This isn't nineteenth century Earth for crying out loud! Women aren't property of men. We're all just as capable at doing anything a man could. Heck I'm the youngest person in history to captain a starship and I'm a woman. Not to mention my degrees in Agriculture, Computers and Engineering.

But those three, their biggest dream in life was to leave their families and marry three random men who they nothing about, and basically be their housekeepers! What is the _matter_ with them?"

Her chest heaved as she finished her rant, the two men staring at her. But then, they were men, they had never suffered from accusations of sleeping with higher-ups or using telepathy to get to their positions. Rose heard those comments every time she spoke to half the Admirality.

"I dunno, Darlin'" Bones finally muttered, moving in to hug her. "I dunno."


	6. The Galileo's Seven

**Disclaimer: TOS belongs to the heirs of Gene Roddenberry, AOS is property of JJ Abrams. Much of this chapter comes directly from TOS: Season 1 Episode 13**

 **Chapter Four**

 **The Galileo's Seven**

"Welcome aboard the USS Enterprise, Commissioner Ferris," Rose greeted the man calmly. "I'm Captain Kirk, this is my First Officer Spock and this is Doris Atkins. Miss Atkins will be your yeoman for the journey."

Ferri nodded curtly at her. "Right," he agreed. "You understand our mission, I trust Captain?"

Rose's diplomatic smile tightened as she caught a glimpse of his thoughts. Ferris thought she was a stupid little girl who got lucky and didn't deserve her ship. _"Don't let it get to you,"_ she instructed herself sternly, blocking the man out.

"Yes sir, I do," she answered. "We're to escort you and your supplies to Makus III where we will rendezvous with the USS Endeavour. The Endeavour will then take you the rest of the way to Ap-Lau. I have been informed it will take us a maximum of a week to make the journey."

"A week?" Ferris cut in, looking angry. "It shouldn't take more than three days to meet with the Endeavour!"

Rose nodded in agreement. "In most circumstances that would be true," she explained. "But our course takes us past Murasaki 312. I have orders from Starfleet to perform a quick investigation while passing by. It won't take long, I promise."

Ferris glowered at her unhappily. "It better not," he snapped. "The Vulcans need these supplies urgently." Then he rudely turned to Doris and demanded she take him to his rooms. Rose slumped in relief as soon as he left.

"Are you well Captain?" Spock asked her lowly, stepping closer. She gave him a strained smile.

"I'll be fine Spock," she assured him. "It's just, difficult," she finished lamely before straightening. "Who have you chosen for your away team?"

Spock blinked at her as he replied. "Dr. McCoy, Commander Scott, Lt. Latimer from security, Lts. Gaetano and Boma from the science division, and Yeoman Mears. All have suitable backgrounds for investigating Murasaki 312."

"Excellent as always, Mr. Spock," she breathed at him. "Let's confirm we've got everything and get a move on."

* * *

 _Captain's Log, stardate 2258.302. On route to Makus Three with a cargo of medical supplies to be transferred to the USS Endeavour for the new Vulcan colony. Our course leads us past Murasaki 312, a quasar-like formation, vague and undefined. A priceless opportunity for scientific investigation. On board is Galactic High Commissioner Ferris, overseeing the delivery of the medicines to the colony._

"Captain to shuttlecraft Galileo," Rose said as the lift opened to let in Commissioner Ferris. "Stand by, Mister Spock."

"I remind you, Captain," Ferris strode up beside her. "I'm entirely opposed to this delay. Your mission is to get those emergency medical supplies to Makus Three in time for their transfer to the new Vulcan colony."

Rose gave him a tense smile. "No problem, Commissioner. And may I remind you that I have standing orders to investigate all quasars and quasar-like phenomena wherever they may be encountered. Besides, it's only three days to Makus. And the rendezvous doesn't take place for five."

"I don't like to take chances," Ferris huffed. "The Vulcans urgently need these supplies. We must get those drugs there on time.

"I agree with you completely Sir," Rose answered. She pressed the comm. "Captain to Galileo. All systems cleared for take off."

"Power up," Spock's voice came over the comm. Beeping and shuffling could be heard in the backround. "All instruments activated. All readings normal. All go."

"Launch shuttlecraft," Rose ordered coolly. She watched the screen as the shuttlecraft made its way slowly out of the bay.

"Captain they're hailing us!" Lt. M'Ress, the on-duty comm officer abruptly called.

"What are they saying, Lieutenant?" Rose demanded, hurrying to the station.

"Nothing clear, Captain," M'Ress replied helplessly, pressing buttons frantically. "Just a few words about being pulled off course."

"Try and get me a fix on the Galileo," Rose instructed as she hurried over to science station and switched it on.

"Scanners are blank, Captain," Sulu reported worriedly. "We're getting a mass of readings I don't understand. Nothing makes sense."

"Negative ionic concentration one point six four times ten to the ninth power metres," the computer beeped. "Radiation wave length three hundred seventy angstroms. Harmonics upward along entire spectrum."

"What is it, Captain?" Ferris demanded, looking frustrated.

Rose ran a hand over her golden hair. "That thing out there has ionized this complete sector. None of our instruments work. At least four complete solar systems in the immediate vicinity. And out there somewhere, a twenty-four footlong shuttlecraft, off course, out of control. Finding a needle in a haystack would be child's play."

* * *

 _Captain's Log, Stardate 2258.305. The electromagnetic phenomenon known as Murasaki Three Twelve whirls like some angry blight in space, a depressive reminder that seven shipmates still have not been heard from. Equally bad, the effect has rendered our normal searching systems useless. Without them, we are blind and almost helpless._

"I was against this from the very beginning," Ferris angrily declared as he and Rose accepted coffees from Rose's yeoman Janice Rand. "Our flight to Makus Three is of the very highest priority."

"I'm aware of that, Commissioner," Rose replied in a hard voice. "At the same time I have certain scientific duties I must perform, and investigating the Murasaki effect is one."

"Yes, but you've lost your crew," the man pointed out and Rose felt her jaw clench in frustration at the useless reminder.

"We have two days to find them."

"Two days?" Ferris looked at her incredulously, waving at the screen. "ln all that? Two days?"

"What would you have me do," Rose sharply demanded. "Turn around and leave them there?"

"You shouldn't have sent them out in the first place," Ferris retorted. "Do you know what you've done? You've concerned yourself with only seven people."

M'Ress came over, a PADD clutched to her chest. "Captain, may we?" she jerked her lion-like head and Rose eagerly took the excuse to abandon the irritating bureaucrat.

"Well Lieutenant?" she asked. M'Ress frowned at her unhappily. "There's one planet in this solar system capable of sustaining human life. It's type M, oxygen, nitrogen, and it's listed as Taurus Two. It's unexplored. As far as we can determine with our equipment malfunction, it's just about dead-centre of the Murasaki effect."

"Thank you, Lieutenant," Rose smiled briefly at her. "Sulu," she turned and barked.

"Yes, ma'am," he glanced back.

"Set course for Taurus II," the captain ordered.

"Aye, aye, ma'am." He turned back to the helm.

"You said something about a needle in a haystack. It's useless," Ferris scoffed.

Rose cast him a hard look. "They're my crew Sir. If they're not there, then they're dead already but I'll be damned if I don't try and save them."

"Captain," M'Ress whispered and Rose turned back to the Caitian, wondering what else could possibly go wrong.

"Yes?"

"There's some trouble with Lt. Uhura, ma'am."

* * *

Rose hadn't wanted Nyota Uhura on board the Enterprise. The woman was decent enough at languages but despite her personal opinion, she wasn't as great as she thought. To Rose, who'd learnt languages from Hoshi Sato herself, she was almost clumsy in her translations. Her habit of judging people based on rumors was also very detrimental to her position as a comm officer.

And during the Narada crisis, not only had Uhura used her relationship with Spock to be changed from the Farragut to the Enterprise, but she had left her station unattended several times in order to try and comfort Spock. The Admirality, however, had insisted that Rose's main bridge crew be made up of the team who had destroyed the Narada.

Thankfully, Rose had managed, with the help of her counterpart, to convince them that having so many unseasoned cadets in charge of the flagship would be too dangerous. While Rose had in fact been in command of several missions during her accelerated course, and Sulu and Chekov had both also done command training, Uhura had never even set foot on board an undocked starship before Vulcan's destruction.

That argument, as well as the fact that Pike had already selected the experienced Lt. Elizabeth Palmer to serve as Chief of Communications, had saved Rose from being stuck with Uhura constantly around.

"This is all your fault!" Her former classmate snarled. Rose kept her face impassive as she listened to the accusation.

"This side trip was completely unnecessary and you know it. We could've been half-way to Makus by now and Spock would be safe! You just can't get over him bringing you up on charges for the Kobayashi Maru can you?"

Rose had heard enough. "That's enough Lieutenant!" She barked, Uhura faltered in her tirade, uncertainty flashing across her face. "This 'side-trip' as you call it was ordered by Starfleet. And, despite your personal opinions, I did not send the away team to be killed out of some ridiculous, non-existent grudge against my First Officer."

She paused to inhale. Being around Uhura always made her irritable. She understood well that the other woman was jealous. Rose was both smarter, prettier and more successful than her, despite being younger. Uhura resented the fact that Rose breezed through subjects that she struggled through for weeks at a time. It still didn't give her an excuse for her behaviour.

"Yet again, Lieutenant, you have allowed your personal dislike of me to interfere with your duty. Clearly reprimands aren't enough. You will be confined to your quarters for one week and removed from the duty schedule for two, with the appropriate pay docking."

Uhura's jaw dropped and Rose hurried to finish before she could start to rant again.

"This will count as your first warning. If you get three punishments for insubordination, toward anyone on board this ship, or get reprimanded for any other trespass, you will be transferred from the Enterprise."

"You, you have _no_ right," Uhura sputtered.

"I have _every_ right," Rose refused to budge. Feelings of approval at her actions came from the other comm officers and bolstered her resolve. "This is _my_ ship and I will not allow any dissent. You don't have to like me, but you _do_ have to respect me as your superior. If you can't follow basic regulations, you shouldn't be on a starship." She paused for a moment before adding pointedly. "Dismissed Lieutenant."

"When Spock gets back," Uhura snapped, straightening her shoulders. "I'll tell him about this and we'll report you to Command for abuse of power."

"If that's what you want to do," Rose agreed mildly. It would do nothing of course, Rose had witnesses and Admirals Archer, Anderson, Komack, Chandra, Pike and of course her counterpart on her side.

The rest might not like her but they wouldn't take the word of a Lieutenant with multiple reprimands for disrespect from several supervisors over the Fleet's most famous captain.

Uhura glared venomously at her before turning to stalk away.

"May I just say Captain, Palmer, who'd been standing silently beside her. "It's about damn time you put that brat in her place."

* * *

"Any sign of them Lieutenant?" Rose asked as soon as she'd returned to the bridge. M'Ress shook her head grimly.

"Nothing Captain." Rose sighed and turned to Sulu.

"Mr. Sulu any readings on your scanners?" He shook his head solemnly.

"No ma'am. They're all totally inoperative. No readings at all."

"Have you tried the auxiliary power?"

"Yes ma'am. Nothing."

She sighed and commed the transport room. "Bridge to transporter room. Who's on duty there?"

"This is Lt. Bobby Captain," a man replied over the comm. Rose vaguely recognized him as being one of Scotty's favourite transporter technicians.

"Ah yes," she murmured. "How're the transporters Lieutenant? Are they beaming up yet?"

Bobby sighed. "Not yet ma'am. We've beamed down some material, but it came back in a disassociated condition. We wouldn't dare try with people."

Rose closed her eyes in frustration as she thanked him briskly before switching to the ship-wide comm. "This is the captain speaking. Flight deck, prepare Columbus for immediate exit, for a search of the planet surface. Correlate co-ordinates with Mister Sulu. Thank you." She turned of the comm and glanced at M'Ress. "Anything, Lieutenant?"

"All wavelengths dominated by ionisation effects, ma'am," the woman reported. "Transmission is blocked, reception impossible."

"Well, Captain?" Ferris raised a scathing eyebrow.

"We have two days left to continue the search, Commissioner." Rose answered calmly, refusing to let her worry touch her tone or expression.

"You don't really think you'll have any luck, do you?" The commissioner scoffed and Rose stood to look at him, crossing her arms and staring fiercely at him.

"Look, these people are my friends and my shipmates. I intend to continue the ship's search for them until the last possible moment," she told him defiantly. He glared back at her.

"Very well, Captain," he answered her icily. "But not _one second_ beyond that moment. Is that clear? If it isn't, I suggest you look at book nineteen, section four thirty three, paragraph twelve."

Rose's black eyes flashed at him dangerously. "I'm familiar with the regulations, Commissioner. I know all about your authority." She turned away. "Launch shuttlecraft Columbus."

* * *

 _Captain's Log, stardate 2258.306. We continue to search, but I find it more difficult each moment to ward off a sense of utter futility and great loss._

"Captain, the Columbus has returned from searching quadrant seven seven nine X by five three four M. Results negative." M'Ress' voice was grim as she gave the news. Rose's eyes fluttered closed for half a second as she tried unsuccessfully to release her stress the way her Aunt Eva had shown her as a little girl. Her thoughts were full of worry for Bones and Spock, as well as her other missing crew members.

"Have them proceed to the next quadrant," she directed. "Any word from engineering on our sensors?"

M'Ress shook her head. "They're working on them, ma'am. Still inoperable."

"What about the transporters?"

"They're still reported unsafe."

Rose nodded, crossing her arms. "Thank you, Lieutenant." She restrained a sigh when she noticed Ferris striding up beside her.

"Captain," he barked.

She turned to face him. "Yes, Commissioner?"

"I don't relish the thought of abandoning your crewmen out there, however I must remind you-"

"I haven't forgotten, Commissioner." The difficulty of the matter was, she thought ruefully to herself, that Ferris genuinely was regretful at the missing people4.

"You're running out of time."

Kirk nodded sharply at him. "I haven't forgotten that, Commissioner." She commed the transporter room again. "This is the captain. Try using overload power on the transporters. We've got to get them working."

"Aye, aye, Captain," Bobby acknowledged. Rose turned back to M'Ress again.

"M'Ress, order the Columbus to open its course two degrees on every lap from now on."

"But Captain, two degrees means they'll be overlooking more than a dozen terrestrial miles on each search loop," Sulu objected. Rose shot him a stern look.

"It also means we have a fighting chance to cover the majority of the planet's surface. Mind your helm, Mister Sulu."

"Yes, ma'am," Sulu muttered, bowing his head. Ferris stepped into the turbolift. "Twenty-four more hours, Captain," he warned ominously. Rose ignored him, focusing on the screen in front of her.

* * *

"What word from the sensor section?" Rose asked. She reached up to pull her hair back into a fresh plait.

M'Ress didn't turn from her station. "At last report they were getting some readings," she offered.

"I'm not interested in the last report," Rose snapped, the deadline pressing on her shoulders. "I want to know now."

"Yes, ma'am."

"You have two hours and forty-three minutes left, Captain." Ferris pointed out. Rose exhaled tightly and turned to him.

"Thank you, Sir. I'm perfectly aware of how much time I have left. I would greatly appreciate if you spend the remaining time in your quarters instead of acting like my personal stopwatch. You have much more important things to do, I'm sure."

Ferris huffed indignantly but made his way to the lift. Rose slumped slightly in relief at the reprieve.

"Ma'am!" M'Ress called. "Sensor section reporting. Static interference still creating false images. Estimates eighty percent undependable."

"What about radio?"

M'Ress flicked another switch. "Clearing slowly. Still incapable of transmission or reception."

Rose squeezed her eyes closed. _"Please,"_ she silently begged the Four Deities of Betazed. _"Please have mercy and let us find them."_

* * *

"Your time is up, Captain," Ferris declared, sweeping onto the bridge. Rose slumped, grief filling her as she cursed herself for not working on nurturing the fragile links she had with Bones and Spock. If she had put more effort into them, she might have been able to locate them.

She shook her head. "I still have two search parties down there," she protested. "The Columbus hasn't returned yet. They're still alive, I can sense them." She waved toward her black eyes to prove it.

Ferris gave her an unyielding look, though she sensed genuine pity coming from him. "You're procrastinating Captain. The Vulcans need these supplies. Would your people truly want you to let those people suffer for their sakes? If you continue to refuse, I'll be forced to take command under Title fifteen, Galactic Emergency Procedures."

"I see," she managed to murmur. "Call back the search teams. When the Columbus has returned," she faltered for a second. "Set course for Makus III."

Her crew gave her disbelieving and horrified looks, even as Sulu nodded and Chekov reached out a shaky hand to input the coordinates.

 _"There must be something I can do,"_ she thought desperately. _"Please, please, let me think of something to save them. I know that they're still alive."_

* * *

"The Columbus is aboard Captain," M'Ress reported, her expression solemn. Rose clasped her hands together to hide their shaking.

"Thank you Lieutenant. Mr. Sulu, set course for Makus III at space normal speed."

"Space normal, ma'am?" Sulu shot her a confused look. She nodded firmly.

"Space normal," she repeated. Her eyes were fixed on the screen, the muted senses of Spock and Bones suddenly becoming clearer than they'd been in days.

"Keptain!" Chekov yelled abruptly. "Over zere. Just above Taurus II!"

Rose hurried over to the helm, a hopeful grin breaking out on her face. "Could it be sensors or a meteorite?" She asked urgently, Chekov shaking his head.

"No ma'am," the science officer, a human named Lt. Alden answered over his shoulder. "It's holding a lateral line. There it is again. Holding steady, Captain."

"A hundred and eighty degrees about, Sulu," Rose ordered. "Lieutenant M'Ress, contact transporter room. All beams ready. Full normal speed."

"Transporters locked in, ma'am," M'Ress reported.

"Activate beams," Rose ordered eagerly. Despite the sight of the object exploding, Rose burst into a grin as she sensed Spock and Bones' familiar presences appear in the transporter room.

"Whatever it was, Captain, it just burned up in the atmosphere," Sulu pointed out grimly.

"Captain," M'Ress cut in eagerly. "The transporter room just beamed up five persons. Alive and well."

Rose felt a slight pang of grief as she registered the number. Five. Two of her men were dead. _"May they rest in peace,"_ she thought solemnly. She rose to her feet and headed to the turbolift, giving the conn to M'Ress.

"Mister Sulu," She ordered as she stepped into the lift. "Proceed on course to Makus Three. Ahead warp factor one."

Sulu nodded. "Aye, aye, ma'am. Warp factor one."


	7. Disciplinary Issues

**Disclaimer: I don't own Star Trek.**

 **Chapter Five**

 **Disciplinary Issues**

Rose frowned as she went over the reports from the Galileo's crew. Something felt off about them and she didn't know what. No information about the mission itself seemed to be outright missing, but there did seem to be a few gaps somehow.

She sighed and thought back to when she'd spoken to the survivors. Everyone (save Spock with his shields) had been radiating feelings of relief and joy to be alive. She couldn't sense anything off from them but she supposed that they'd been too high on adrenaline for anything else to register at the time.

She was broken out of her thoughts by a rap at the door. She blinked in surprise but called out permission to enter.

She frowned in surprise at the sight of Bones and Yeoman Mears, both of whom had feelings of guilt and shame coming from them.

She straightened her back and jerked her head for them to enter. "Is there a problem, Dr. McCoy, Yeoman Mears?" She kept her voice stern and empty of warmth. "I assume this has something to do with the events on Taurus II."

The two exchanged quick looks and cast their gazes to the ground.

"Yes ma'am," Bones took the lead. "Yeoman Mears and myself wish to report ourselves and Lt. Boma for disrespect of a superior officer and conduct unbecoming as well as not filing complete reports."

Rose stared at them in dismay for a second. "Explain," She snapped coldly. "Now."

Bones took a deep breath before beginning to explain the events on the planet. With each sentence Rose's anger deepened and her lips thinned.

"I see," she said finally after Bones had fallen silent. "Is there anything else you wanted to tell me about the mission or is that it?"

The two exchanged another look. "Just that we're both very ashamed of our actions ma'am," Mears finally replied.

"We're both trained officers," Bones added. "We let our fear take over and got upset at Spock for acting like a Vulcan instead of a human. We all knew better. Mr. Scott was the only one of us who gave Commander Spock the respect he deserved. The rest of us deserve to be put on report."

Rose nodded slowly, turning the confession over in her head as she tried to decide what to do. "Well I'm sure I don't have to tell you how disappointed I am in you both," she finally told them. Mears flinched and Bones looked away sheepishly.

"That being said," she continued. "I'm proud of you both for coming to me and acknowledging your actions. For now, I want you both to fix your reports so that they have the whole story, nothing left out."

They nodded solemnly. "I'll consider what to do about your punishments but I'll take your confessions into account." She fell silent for another moment. "I expect you both to remember that the chain of command exists for a reason," she insisted, looking at both of them seriously. "There are situations where your lives are in danger. The commanding officer has to make snap decisions and taking time to explain their reasoning isn't an option.

In addition, Commander Spock is a Vulcan. Not a human. He does not react to situations the same way humans do and he would be a very different man if he did. Starfleet preaches tolerance. If you can't respect your superiors because they're from a different culture, then you don't belong in the fleet, let alone on board this ship."

The two looked shaken but she refused to ease their distress. "You're both dismissed and confined to quarters until I release you," she finished coldly, looking back down at their PADDs.

They filed out silently, Bones pausing at the threshold. "I really am sorry, Rose," he muttered. She glanced up back up at him, softening slightly at the genuine guilt coming from him.

"I know," she told him before hardening her voice again. "You're my best friend Bones but I have a responsibility to everyone on board this ship to treat everyone equally. You admitted what happened and understand it was wrong. I'm not letting you off completely though. I can't."

He nodded solemnly before leaving, the door sliding shut behind him.

Rose sat back with a groan, pressing her palms to her forehead. "What now?" She mumbled to herself. Her eyes flickered toward the computer as she considered trying to contact Rosalyn but she quickly shook the thought away, reminding herself that she couldn't rely on the Admiral constantly. It was her ship and she needed to deal with this herself instead of turning to others every time she was feeling uncertain.

She jumped up and headed for engineering, intent on getting the full story. Engineering was full as always, redshirts darting around frantically. Rose spotted Keenser dangling from some pipes with a spanner held one hand. She scanned the scene for several minutes before finally spotting Scotty berating a young ensign over something.

"Scotty," she called, picking her way through the clutter.

He gave her a surprised look. "Captain?" He asked, waving away the ensign. He rushed off, looking relieved at his escape.

"Scotty," she said mildly. "Dr. McCoy and Yeoman Mears have just told me some interesting facts about the mission on Taurus."

Scotty froze, a guilty look flashing over his face. "Well, uh. I was."

Rose cut him off sharply. "You should've told me Scotty," she snapped sternly. "You were second in command. You had a responsibility to not only intervene and stop their insubordination, but to tell me straight away when someone undermines the mission leader's decisions."

Scotty shuffled his feet sheepishly. "I know," he admitted. "But tempers were high an'-"

"And nothing," Rose interrupted. "The only reason I'm only giving you a demerit and banning you from Engineering for a week is because you're the only one who didn't disrespect Spock on the mission."

"Banned for a _week_?" Scotty looked stunned. "But Captain!"

"Don't make it worse," she told him sternly. "I'll be informing Lt. DeSalle that he has command of Engineering for the week while you're recovering and that you're not allowed in without my approval or he'll disciplined. Now go and fix your report. I never want to be in this situation again, understood?"

Scotty nodded, looking devastated as he left. Rose sighed and after tracking down the assistant chief engineer, headed to the crew quarters to see Lt. Boma.

She paused for a moment outside his room, rubbing her eyes and blinking. She hadn't rested since the Galileo had disappeared nearly three days earlier, coffee and mind exercises had kept her from falling asleep on the bridge. That being said, she wanted to get everyone's sides before deciding what to do and she wanted to do it quickly. She rapped on Boma's door sharply, fixing an even expression onto her face.

A tap on the keyboard later and she was entering the room without permission, Boma and his roommate, an Andorian named Shukar.

"Captain!" Boma blurted out as the two scrambled to attention. "What're you doing here?"

She gave him a stony look and he shrank slightly at her obvious unhappiness. "Ensign Shukar," she turned to him first. "I would like to speak to you after the lieutenant. Wait in the hall." He nodded, saluted and left, not looking to his roommate as he left. Rose turned to regard the science officer.

"Tell me the full events of Taurus II," she ordered flatly. Concern crept up her spine as she felt contempt and anger start leaking through his shields.

"Should've known that the damn green-blooded elf would go running straight to you," he spat bitterly. "Even after I saved his worthless butt. Bastard."

"Enough," Rose cut off the stream of bigotry. "Commander Spock didn't say anything to me about your appalling behaviour during the mission. Everyone else on the mission, however, knew it was unacceptable and confessed what happened to me. Except you. The one who, from the reports, was most disrespectful toward the commander.

Do you have any excuse for yourself Lt?"

He glared sullenly at her and she reinforced her faltering shields against his selfish refusal to accept his flaws.

"Two men died and he didn't give a damn!" He yelled. "He was going on about how two men would have to be stay behind but he would choose who stayed logically. It wasn't-"

"Wasn't what?" Rose interrupted. "Wasn't human maybe? I wonder why."

Boma fell silent and stared at her as she stepped toward the door.

"It's very obvious to me that you don't belong on the Enterprise," she told him frostily. "Pack your stuff, you're off my ship as soon as we arrive at Makus."

"What?" Boma protested, scrambling after her. "But Captain! That would ruin my career. Can't I-"

"No," she snapped. "Bigotry won't be tolerated on board my ship. And neither will you. You're confined to quarters until we arrive." The door thudded closed on Boma's face and probably his career too.

"Captain?" Shukar asked hesitantly and she focused on him.

"What's your opinion on Boma, Ensign?"

He shuffled hesitantly for a minute before answering. "He's clever but I've noticed that he definitely prefers human company. We don't really interact."

Rose sighed and nodded. She waved him away after asking him to stay with someone else until Boma was gone. Finally she met quickly with Chief Giotto to let him know who was confined and she was finally, finally free to return to her quarters to rest.

She met Spock just outside.

"Spock," she greeted him tiredly. "I'm glad you're here. We need to talk about the mission."

Spock bowed his head in acknowledgement. "Very well Captain. And I would greatly appreciate your advice on a personal matter also, if possible."

"Of course," she assured him, opening her door and letting him follow her inside. "I'm always happy to help you Spock. I hope you know that."

"Indeed," he murmured.

"Vulcan spiced tea?" She tossed over her shoulder, ordering herself a coffee as he agreed. She wandered back over to him, cups in hand and sat down on her armchair, sighing slightly in relief.

"What is it you wished to discuss with me, Captain?"

Rose sighed, placing her coffee on the table and reaching up to undo her plait. "Why didn't you report the others' insubordination to me, Spock?" She asked him gently.

His expression stayed even but she saw the distress flash through his eyes. "I was," he began slowly. "Uncertain. The actions of both the crewmembers and the natives on Taurus II were most, illogical."

Rose nodded sympathetically, understanding how confused Spock must have been when he was wrong.

"It was illogical for the crew to insist I be the one to say the service for Lt. Gaetano," Spock continued with a troubled look. "I was needed to help Mr. Scott repair the shuttle and Dr. McCoy was capable of doing the services himself. And the odds of the natives being scared away by our phasers were exactly 93.445%.

Then they became upset at my stating that some would be required to stay behind, despite the facts being clear. Mr. Boma in particular was displeased with my actions. I do not understand why. I was attempting to preserve as many crew as possible.

I failed to inform you because logic dictated that if everyone else on the team was displeased with my actions, I was the one at fault. I intended to meditate and attempt to discover the source of my failure before coming to you for discipline."

Rose sighed and reached over to grasp his knee, squeezing it gently. "You were not at fault, Spock," she insisted, meeting his eyes. "I have gone over all the reports and what's left of the recording from the Galileo itself. Your actions were excellent.

The only thing you did wrong was assume that the natives would be scared off instead of enraged. Regardless, you made an excellent decision based on the information that you had. In fact, I intend to give you a commendation for your actions on the planet. I'm very proud to have you as my first."

She thought he might have blushed slightly at the compliment even as he nodded.

"Thank you, Captain," he murmured, glancing away. "It is unnecessary to give me a commendation for doing my duty but I thank you for it. Still, I do not understand why the crew was so distressed by my actions. They were logical."

Rose bit her lip as she considered how to explain the emotional side of the events to Spock in a way he would understand. In the four months since the Enterprise had set out, Rose had somehow found herself acting as 'emotional translator' for the Vulcan. She was happy to help but it was still difficult to do.

Part of wondered why he asked her for help with humans instead of Uhura, especially given the fact that Rose had spent most of her childhood with her Betazed relatives. Mostly she was just relieved that he wasn't getting help from the judgmental woman. Maybe her slight distance from humanity helped her explain things in terms a non-human would understand better.

"Well," she said slowly. "Humans are an emotional species. While we're taught to control ourselves in stressful conditions, that can't stop the physical effects stress have on human physiology. The fear hormones rise and cause various reactions, such as 'fight or flight'. Often humans will choose to 'fight' and lash out a nearby target. Their stress and grief caused them to feel that you were being disrespectful toward the deceased crew.

To humans, like many species, respect for the dead is of the utmost importance. They used your seeming indifference to give themselves an enemy that they could defeat. They understood that defeating the natives was impossible of course. Do you understand?"

Spock nodded slowly. "I believe so," he answered. "Should I have said services for the deceased?"

Rose shook her head immediately. "No," she told him firmly. "I do believe in giving burials if possible, but as commander, you were right to focus on attempting to save the living. Especially given Dr. McCoy's ability to do funeral services himself."

Spock nodded and she smiled when she noticed the unhappiness in his eyes had eased. "Now," she said. "I've decided to transfer Boma off of the ship. His attitude was beyond insubordinate. The others were disrespectful, but he actively hindered and insulted you. He is blatantly bigoted and he endangered the whole away team. I'm going to place a formal reprimand and a note explaining the circumstances in his file. We'll leave him on Makus."

"Are you certain Captain?" Spock asked. "Lt. Boma has excellent scores. This will likely damage his career severely."

"I'm sure," she nodded. "He isn't fit to serve on a starship. His roommate implied he's slightly xenophobic which fits with his attitude during the mission. I want a no tolerance policy for bigotry on my ship. I hear about it, they're off."

"Very well," Spock agreed. He hesitated before continuing. "You recall I desired to speak to you?"

"Of course," she waved him on, pushing down her exhaustion and taking another sip of her coffee. "Tell me."

"If it is an inconvenience to you that I keep asking for your aid in interpreting human interaction-"

She cut him off swiftly, leaning forward. "Spock, what's the definition of a friend?"

He quirked his eyebrows slightly as he replied. "A friend is a person with whom one has a bond of mutual affection, typically one exclusive of sexual or family relations."

"So, would you consider us to be friends?"

He paused for a second before nodding slowly and she bit back a triumphant exclamation.

"I would too," she informed him. "And I was taught that friends help each other whenever they're capable of doing so. If you have something you believe that I can help you with, I am fully willing and pleased to do so."

Spock nodded again. "My thanks Captain."

"Rose," she interjected, earning a quizzical look. "While on duty we must be formal, when off-duty it is standard that friends are informal with each other. Unless this has something to do with the ship's business?"

"I don't believe so," Spock answered after a moment of consideration. "It is regarding Lt. Uhura."

"Ah," Rose nodded, hiding a grimace at the thought of the other woman. "Well I'll do my best to help but I can't say romantic advice is my forte."

" _Am_ I in a romantic relationship with Lt. Uhura?" Spock asked quickly and Rose stared at him in surprise. "I do not desire to be and am unsure how this belief has come to be. Lt. Uhura is not someone I wish to have as a mate, nor do I believe my parents would be satisfied with my choice if I were to bond with her. My mother called her arrogant and extended disapproval toward her attitude toward the survivors whilst returning to Earth."

"I see," Rose sat back in her seat. "Well, I was under the impression that yourself and Lt. Uhura were involved romantically due to the two of you kissing right before we beamed to the Narada. In addition, she has made it known that she considers herself to be your girlfriend, meaning she believes that the two of you are involved monogamously with each other. You frequently spend your free time with her and I received the required documents requesting permission for you two to be engaged in a relationship."

"I see," Spock 'frowned'. "I am uncertain as to what led her to this conclusion. Would my not rejecting her kiss have caused her belief?"

"It's likely," Rose granted. "Did you interact regularly with her outside of classes prior to the kiss?"

Spock nodded. "I held regular office hours for any of my students who wished to ask questions or for tutoring. Lt. Uhura met me for discussions on an average of three times a week for between one and two hours.

After 3.5 months of this, we progressed to meeting at the local café once a month to discuss her thesis on the differences between the Vulcan and Romulan languages."

"I see," Rose sighed. "Did she ask you to meet her at these times? And did she phrase it as 'meeting for coffee?"

Spock nodded, looking confused.

"Was her thesis all you spoke of or did you talk about other things as well?"

Spock nodded again and elaborated. "While we originally contained our discussions to her thesis, we also soon began speaking of other topics, such as our interests and activities."

"Humans often use the phrase 'meeting for coffee' as a way to ask someone they're attracted to on a date," Rose explained, seeing dismay rise in Spock's eyes. "Then when on the date they talk about their hobbies and such. Uhura probably assumed that you were aware of the significance. Then when you accepted her kiss, she confirmed in her mind that you two were engaged in a relationship."

"I see," Spock sighed. "How am I to go about explaining that I do not desire to be in relationship with her?"

"May I ask why not?" Rose probed carefully. "She isn't a bad choice is she?"

"I am certain that Lt. Uhura will be a superb mate to another person at some point," Spock returned calmly. "She is aesthetically pleasing, intelligent and has a good career. That being said," he faltered for a minute before finishing. "I find that she is often judgmental and places great stock in the 'rumour mill'. Nor do I enjoy it when she is disrespectful toward her superiors. In addition, she is my subordinate officer and while not forbidden, I do not appreciate the reports that she apparently uses my position to try and intimidate others."

Rose nodded in acknowledgement. "I understand," she paused to think about what to say next. "I recommend that you don't say anything about what you find distasteful regarding her. Tell her what you like about her if you wish but say that you don't feel your personalities are compatible. Do it in private to avoid to causing a scene.

If you want to say that you didn't know she believed you were dating, do so. But she will probably become angry and embarrassed if you do. And do it soon, the longer you leave it, the worse she will feel."

Spock nodded solemnly. He quickly swallowed the dregs of his tea and rose to his feet. "Thank you for your help in this matter, Capt-, Rose. I will go and speak to Lt. Uhura immediately. Do you wish to be informed of the results?"

"If you want," Rose replied, also rising to her feet. "If not then there's no need. Do you want to play another game of chess when you have finished?"

"I would," he hesitated before continuing, quite bravely given the circumstances. "Greatly enjoy a rematch this evening. I will return at nineteen hundred and thirty hours, if this time is acceptable to you?"

Rose nodded. "It is," she told him simply and watched him stride out. "That is not going to be an amicable break up," she declared to the empty room before turning to head to her computer. A captain's work was never done and Rose wanted Boma off her ship as soon as they arrived at Makus.


	8. The Zoo of Illusions

**Disclaimer: I don't own Star Trek. Much of the dialogue comes from the original pilot, The Cage/Season 1 Episodes 15 and 16, The Menagerie. Thank for all your lovely reviews. An important AN at the bottom.**

 **Chapter Six**

 **The Zoo of Illusions**

"May I ask what you are doing on your computer, Rose? The programming seems to be vaguely familiar to me."

Rose glanced up from where she had been carefully typing out the new coding, a hint of dread rising in her at the talk of telling Spock what the Academy had asked her to do. Bones, who was already aware of the request, gave a grimace but continued to check out Spock's bandages. Rose inhaled and nodded, placing the computer down on the table.

"I'm rewriting the Kobayashi Maru simulation," she admitted. Spock stiffened and clenched his jaw, glancing away briefly.

"I see," he answered stiffly. "What differences will be put in place?"

She bit her lip for a half-a-second before answering, mentally reassuring herself that her and Spock's relationship was stronger than some text on a screen.

"Well there are two main problems with the current simulation," she began, tucking a hair behind her ear. "The first is that, well, it's a computer simulation. All the cadets know that they won't actually get themselves or their friends killed. At most it'll damage their grade but everyone loses so you know it doesn't have any long-term effects in reality.

But it _does_ make you believe that you can stay calm in a crisis situation, which isn't necessarily true. So, the first problem with the test is that it's a danger because of the psychological side."

Spock had a startled look in his eyes. Although Rose's trial had been finished hastily after the Narada and she'd received a commendation for original thinking, Spock hadn't been there to listen to her explain her reasoning to the disciplinary committee. Maybe, Rose considered, this talk was a good thing. It could completely clear the air that their mutual apologies hadn't done.

"Then there's the fact that currently, the simulation isn't realistic. Of course, you can't always save everyone, but there's always a way to save someone. When I came up with the program for my own test, I could've just lowered the Klingon shields but I came up with the Corbomite Maneuver instead because it's a genuine tactic. My counterpart actually used in battle once and it saved her ship.

The code I'm working on now will have at most two or three different ways to allow for the survival of some, but not all, of the people. It'll randomize each time and to beat it will require lots of creative thinking and decisiveness. It doesn't solve the issue of the physical effects of fear, but it will hopefully work more successfully."

Rose's voice became more passionate as she spoke, forgetting to censor herself, though she didn't mention the fact that over sixty percent of command track students left their command course after failing the current Maru. Or that three percent committed suicide or got genuinely ill from the trauma of being able to do nothing when their friends and 'crew' were dying. Spock didn't need to know that.

"Well I think the whole thing's stupid," Bones huffed, standing and moving away from Spock's leg. "Useless if you ask me. You're mad, liking being in charge o' this damn metal-plated tin can."

He turned to Spock, who had a troubled look hidden in his eyes. "Your healing well," the doctor said firmly. "I'd prefer longer but you're good enough to return to full duty." He raised a finger threateningly. "That being said, you need to keep your weight off it as much as possible. If I check it and it's starting to swell or anything, you're off duty quicker than you say 'Enterprise'. Got it?"

"Doctor," Spock said condescendingly and Rose felt her lips twitch slightly as she watched. "It takes 0.59 seconds for me to fully form the word 'Enterprise'. Your belief that you could fill out the required forms and inform me of my status in less than that amount of time, is quite illogical."

Rose smirked outright this time, turning back to her work as she listened to Bones' loud complaints in the background. Of course it was all in good fun, Bones actually did like Spock, and after the Galileo, he had been nothing but respectful to him in public, even if they argued in private. But it was okay. Just a bit of fun and the three of them knew that.

Rose was broken out of her thoughts by her comm, which she quickly grabbed and answered. "This is Kirk? Is something wrong Officer," she quickly pulled up her mental duty roster as she spoke. "Garison?"

"We're heading towards something, ma'am," Garison answered. Rose frowned at the vague reply, rising to feet and signalling for Spock and Bones.

"Heading towards what exactly, Chief Petty Officer?" Rose asked hurrying to the door with the men on her heels.

"We don't know, ma'am," Garison admitted. "It's not making any sense."

Rose pursed her lips. "We'll be there shortly," she said, before snapping off the comm. "Well Spock?" she asked, beginning to fix her hair into a half-up/half-down style using the new hairclip Bones had given her for her birthday on the fourth.

Like all Betazoid women, Rose had been raised with the understanding that keeping her hair perfect at all times was the key to success.

"I cannot make any hypothesis until I have looked at the findings," Spock answered coolly.

"Fair enough," Rose nodded. The turbolift opened and she strode to her chair. Spock went to his station, replacing Lt. Marlena Moreau while Bones moved to the corner, near enough to give his opinions while at the same time keeping out of the way.

"Check the circuit," Spock ordered, bending over his station. Sulu shook his head.

"All operating, sir," the helmsman reported.

"It can not be the screen then," Spock murmured, straightening and turning to Rose. "Definitely something out there, Captain, headed this way."

"It could be zese meteorites," Chekov suggested. Spock shot him down instantly.

"No, it is something else. There is still something out there."

"It's coming at the speed of light, collision course," Sulu warned. "The meteorite beam hasn't deflected it, Captain."

"Evasive manoeuvres, ma'am?" Sulu asked, already moving to input the orders. He paused at Rose's firm headshake.

"Steady as we go," the captain answered calmly.

"It's a radio wave, ma'am!" Garison declared abruptly, sounding shocked. "We're passing through an old-style distress signal."

Rose frowned in thought. A radio distress signal. That was at least a decade out of use. "They were keyed to cause interference and attract attention this way." She thought aloud.

Garison frowned as he fumbled with his station to glean the message. "A ship in trouble making a forced landing, ma'am. That's it. No other message."

"I have a fix," Chekov called triumphantly. "It comes from ze Talos star group."

"We've no ships or Earth colonies that far out," Bones pointed out grumpily. "Haven't for years. The last couple went missing."

"Their call letters check with the last survey expedition. The SS Columbia. It disappeared in that region approximately eighteen years ago and four point three months ago."

"It would take that long for a radio beam to travel from there to here," Garison pointed out, looking at the contemplative captain expectantly.

"Records show the Talos group has never been explored. Solar system similar to Earth, eleven planets. Number four seems to be Class M, oxygen atmosphere."

"Then they could still be alive, even after eighteen years," Bones pointed out, moving closer to Rose.

"If they survived the crash," Rose's voice was hard. It had been a long year and she'd lost three more crewmen only two weeks before, as well as almost losing Spock. For once she was eager to avoid any trouble, instead of dashing towards it.

"You can't seriously be thinking o just leaving them there if they might still be alive!" Bones objected angrily. "Rose-"

"Enough Doctor!" She snapped back, forcing her shields to strength. She closed her eyes in resignation before nodding and sitting up straighter.

"Set course for Talos IV, Mr. Sulu," she ordered. "We'll check it out and if we can't find anything, at least we might be able to give their families some closer. I'll be in my ready room, organizing the away team. Spock has the conn."

Her fears were soothed by the blatant happiness her crew felt at going after the distress call. They were good people, all of them.

Bones followed her into her ready room, a frown on his face and concern muffled by his shields. He'd learnt to shield for her sake, she recalled, a smile playing on her lips. He just wasn't very good at it, that was all.

"What's wrong Rose?" He asked, compassion wafting to her. She sighed and picked up her PADD.

"Isn't it obvious?"

"The fight on Rigel 7? Rose you did all you could. You've said yourself you know that you can't save everyone."

"I know that," she insisted. "I do. But I also knew those people. Burke had a fiancée named Teresa on the Mars colony. Rad'ila was a quadruplet and she joined Starfleet so she could be herself. Eris was finishing up her contract this year before leaving the 'fleet.

And seven others injured so badly the Admirality wants me to leave them behind at the nearest space station." She sighed again and yanked a hand through her hair.

"I didn't think it would be so hard to be the one in charge," she admitted. "Deciding who lives and who dies. It's so wrong, it makes me feel sick. There always seems to be one catastrophe after another. It's exhausting."

Bones studied her sympathetically, reaching out to clasp her shoulder. "You're a good captain Rose," he assured her and she felt his firm belief in that fact. "The crew love you. 'cept Uhura of course but she's as bad as Jocelyn."

Rose snorted as he continued. "And I know it makes it harder, how you connect with the crew, but I'm not sure you realize how much of a morale-booster it is, the way you talk to them and get to know them. I've never heard of any other CO's just taking the time out of their day to go down to the common room and ask so-and-so if their little sister is over the flu yet or not. It really makes my patients smile when you pop down to visit and see how they're doing. The crew _loves_ you, and the crew _trusts_ you. Okay?"

Rose smiled teasingly at him to ease the tension in his expression. "Okay," she agreed, "Thanks Bones, I needed that."

He nodded and she waved him away. "Now scoot! I've gotta choose the away team. You're on it by the way."

Bones grimaced. "Oh great," he complained, making his way to the door. "Just what I wanted, more unknown diseases to attack my immune system. That's just fan-ficking-tastic!" The door slid closed on his grumbling as Rose started to chuckle, inputting the password on her screen.

* * *

 _Captain's log, Stardate 2259.19: We have intercepted an old radio-wave distress signal. New data has revealed that there were at least eleven survivors who found food and water in a breathable atmosphere. The message cut off before they could finish. We are now arriving at the Talos system._

"Ve 'ave settled into orbit, ma'am," Chekov reported. Rose stood to get a better look at the planet in front of her. It didn't look much different to any other planet she had ever seen but then M-Class usually didn't from space.

"Preliminary lab survey is ready, ma'am," Spock added.

"Spectography?" Rose asked, keeping her eyes on the planet.

"Our reading shows an oxygen nitrogen atmosphere, ma'am, heavy with inert elements but well within safety limits."

Rose nodded. "Gravity?"

"Zero point nine of Earth" Spock stated simply, clasping his hands together.

"Captain?" Sulu called. "Reflections, ma'am, from the planet's surface. As I read it, they polarise out as rounded metal bits. Could be parts of a spaceship hull."

Rose nodded crisply. "Right, our landing party will have myself, Dr. McCoy, Lt. Sulu, Lt. Garison, Ensign Chekov and Chief Giotto. Spock, you'll be in command while I'm gone of course. Call for replacements and I'll meet you in the transporter room."

The group nodded and went to complete their tasks, Rose herself headed to her room to change and put her curls into a complicated plaited bun.

* * *

The planet was rather desolate in Rose's opinion. Rocky with a barren terrain and a few scattered plants, Rose was instantly sceptical of finding any remaining survivors. She was shocked, therefore, when they rounded a cluster of boulders to see the small camp, with a small group of worn-out men.

"My god!" One of the men exclaimed. "I can't believe it! Humans, real actual human beings!"

Rose stepped forward. She covered her frown of suspicion at the men. According to her empathy, the men didn't exist. Obviously something was creating the illusion, however, and Rose didn't want to tip them off by letting them know she knew they were faking everything.

"Hello," she greeted them gently. "I'm Captain Rosalind Ophelia Kirk, of the USS Enterprise. We're Starfleet."

"Doctor Theodore Haskins," the apparent leader introduced to himself. "Of the American Continent lnstitute. I'm leader of the expedition. Or I was anyway."

"Is Earth all right?" One of the survivors piped up desperately, grasping Giotto's arm.

"The same old Earth, and you'll see it very soon," Sulu reassured him earnestly. Rose bit back a sigh. Her men would be crushed when they learned that the 'survivors' were fakes.

"And you von't beliewe hov fast you can get back," Chekov added with a delighted grin. "Ze difficulties with ze time barrier hawe been broken. Our nev ships can-"

He was struck silent at the sight of a pretty blonde woman, with a gentle smile moving forward through the group. Rose's gaze narrowed in on her. This woman was real, but there was something in her thoughts, they were too easy to read. As if she were being scanned constantly by a skilled telepath. There was something that she wanted from the crew.

"This is Vina," 'Haskins' gripped her arm to pull her up into their view better. "Her parents are dead. She was born almost as we crashed."

Rose's smile tightened and her crew cast discreet looks at her. The story was eerily similar to her own birth and wondered if the telepaths had chosen the story specifically to unbalance her.

"Rose," Bones said, moving toward the group. "I'd like to start doing some quick medical exams before we transport them up to the ship. God knows what that bloody thing'll do to them after they've spent the last couple of years being exposed to God knows what."

Rose nodded and waved him forward. She stepped away to comm Spock and tell him about the 'survivors'. Abruptly there was a yell and she spun around sharply, reaching for her phaser. The 'camp' and its residents had all disappeared.

"Zey are gone!" Chekov yelled in panic. It wasn't the sudden end of the illusion that upset Rose though. It was the fact that Bones was gone too.

* * *

The away team and department heads all gathered in the briefing room with grim faces. Rose in particular looked like she was barely holding back her fury.

"The inhabitants of this planet must live deep underground," Spock explained. "And probably manufacture food and other needs down there. Our tests indicate the planet surface, without considerably more vegetation or some animals, simply too barren to support life."

"So we just thought we saw survivors there, Mister Spock," Giotto clarified with a frown. Rose's scowl deepened as Spock nodded.

"Exactly. An illusion placed in our minds by this planet's inhabitants."

"It was a perfect illusion," Sulu pointed out. "They had us seeing just what we wanted to see, human beings who'd survived with dignity and bravery. Every detail completely perfect, right down to the building of the camp, the tattered clothing, everything."

"Now does everyone understand the danger of this?" Rose cut in sharply. "The inhabitants of this planet can read our minds. They can create illusions out of a person's own thoughts, memories, and experiences, even out of a person's own desires. Illusions just as real and solid as this table top and just as impossible to ignore. I could only tell it was fake because of my empathy!" She hit the tabletop as she spoke to emphasize her words.

Everyone exchanged grim looks as they digested her words.

"Any estimate what they might want one of us for?" Lt. Palmer asked.

Spock shrugged. "They may simply be studying the doctor, to find out how Earth people are put together. Or it could be something more."

"Whatever they're doing, it's unacceptable," snapped the captain. "I will not allow my crew to be a science experiment!"

"Then why aren't we doing anything?" Lt. José Tyler, Giotto's young and eager protégé interrupted. "That entry may have stood up against hand lasers, but we can transmit the ship's power against it. Enough to blast half a continent."

Rose hesitated, glancing at Spock and quirking her eyebrow. While she would get Bones back safely, she was reluctant to be a captain who used force as a default.

Spock gave a chilling look to the lieutenant. "From the Captain's description of the beings mental abilities, they must have brains at least three times the size of ours. If we start buzzing about down there, we're liable to find their mental power is so great they could reach out and swat this ship as though it were a fly. The Captain is strong but her gifts will not be able to shield us all."

"But Captain," Tyler leaned forward, clasping his hands together. "It's a member of our crew they've got. He needs help, and he probably needs it fast."

Rose closed her eyes for a second. She had a pounding headache that she knew from her old training meant someone was prodding at her shields. "Scotty," she decided.

"Aye, Captain?" The Scottish man asked quickly.

"Engineering deck will rig to transmit ship's power," Rose ordered. "We'll try blasting through that metal. Everyone is dismissed, Spock stay behind." While the others dispersed, Spock waited patiently for the woman to speak. Rose herself spent several minutes rubbing her temples, reaffirming her mental barriers and trying not to cry.

"I knew as soon as I saw those 'people'," she made brief airquotes with her fingers. "That it was a trap. I should've ordered a beam-up immediately instead of going along with it to try and learn what they wanted."

Spock balked for a minute before reaching out to carefully pat her shoulder, copying the comforting actions he seen her make use of dozens of times since she'd taken command of the Enterprise. "Your actions were logical," he informed her carefully, wary of making a misstep and upsetting her more. "It was, and still is, necessary to discover what the Talosians desire. It's possible that someone may have been harmed if you had not gone along with the charade."

"But now Bones is gone and we can't even rely on our own eyes!" Rose lashed back. She knew he was telling the truth but it was Bones. 'If a more experienced captain had command,' she thought bitterly to herself. 'None of this would have been a problem.'

Spock gave a frown at her. Or at least, she could see the frown in his eyes even if others didn't.

"You are an exceptional captain," he said earnestly. "This I my personal belief, and the belief of what I believe is 99.456% of those you have met since the beginning of our mission. You have not only successfully created at least the beginning of five new alliances but also dealt with multiple catastrophes with spectacular grace.

Dr. McCoy, though rather foolish and illogical, is sensible enough that I am certain he will be returned unharmed to us within the next three-point-seven hours."

Impulsively, Rose leaned over and hugged him tightly. "Thank you, Spock," she whispered to him mistily. "I needed to hear that." She pulled away and quickly began to adjust her appearance. "Head out and check everything's getting ready please?" She half-asked, half-ordered him. "I'll be on the bridge after making a log."

Spock, still slightly surprised by her embrace, nodded and headed for the door. Rose, meanwhile, reached for her PADD to start her log.

* * *

 _Captain's log, Stardate 2259.19: The 'survivors' were in fact elaborate illusions created by the telepathic natives of Talos IV to lure us to them. My Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Leonard McCoy, has been abducted by them._

 _I was able to tell immediately due to my empathy that they were fake but went along with the pretence to discover what they wanted. I also learned that the sole woman we saw wasn't a fake, she was real. She called herself Veena, I guess he actually did survive the crash and has been kept by the Talosians for some reason. Likely the same reason that they kidnapped Bones._

 _We are certain that the entrance to their city is hidden in a cliff and my engineers are now working on setting up a laser cannon to try and break through._

* * *

Forty minutes after Rose finished with her log, she was standing beside Scotty, Giotto and a group of other engineers and security officers. Spock was on the ship, preparing to charge the cannon from orbit.

Carefully the engineers adjusted the big laser cannon so it was aimed at the door in the rock.

"All circuits engaged, Ma'am," Scotty reported after checking over the cannon again.

"Standing by, Captain," Spock added.

"Take cover," Rose ordered as she crouched and, after checking everyone was out of harm's way, nodded for Spock to start the attack.

Spock calmly counted down from ten before pressing the detonator. Rose frowned when there was no damage to be seen on the rockface. Her empathy only worked on sentient beings. Without a person to scan, she couldn't tell if it was really undamaged or not.

"Increase to full power!" She called to Spock. "Can you give us anymore?"

"Our circuits are beginning to heat," Spock denied. "We'll have to cease power."

Rose cursed a she ordered him to disengage.

"The top of that knoll should have been sheared off the first second." Scotty protested.

"Maybe it was," Rose replied grimly. "It's what I tried to explain in the briefing room. Their power of illusion is so great, we can't be sure of anything we do, anything we see." Her team stared at her with wide-eyed dismay at her grim words.

* * *

"We've located a magnetic field that seems to come from their underground generator," Spock calmly explained.

"Could that be an illusion too?" Lt. Garison asked worriedly. The captain shrugged.  
"Now, you all know the situation," she began. "We're hoping to transport down inside the Talosian community."

"If our measurements and readings are an illusion also, one could find oneself materialised inside solid rock," Spock added.

"Nothing will be said if any volunteer wants to back out," Rose insisted. He felt a surge of pride when no one even considered it. She turned to the transporter technician. "Energize, Mister Pitcairn."

She frowned in concern when she reappeared inside a cavern with only Yeoman Colt, Christine Chapel and Lt. Palmer.

'All the female members of the team,' her narrowed suspiciously even as she moved to a relieved-looking Bones' side.

"Bones, are you alright?" She demanded, giving him a quick scan as she embraced him.

"'m fine, just damn angry. These bloody bigheaded zookeepers want me to play Adam!"

Rose's eyebrows shot sky high. "As in Adam and Eve?" Whatever scenarios she had come up with, that hadn't been one of them.

Bones nodded, an embarrassed grimace on his face. She filed it away for future teasing, choosing to focus on the present situation. The woman, Vina, was throwing a tantrum and had been since they'd arrived.

"So you refused to sleep with her," she jerked her head toward the girl. "And now they're hoping you'll sleep with one of us instead?" Bones nodded sullenly.

"No!" Vina shrieked, seeming hysterical. She dashed toward the glass window, pushing past the silent, but obviously confused Enterprise women. "That one isn't even human! She's a Betazoid! And the others aren't speaking at all! They're terrible choices for intelligent offspring!"

"No one is forcing my crew to reproduce! We are not science experiments!"" Rose snapped furiously.

She could hardly believe it was necessary but here she was, stating outright that her crew weren't experiments. It was ridiculous, how the heck was she going to explain this to the Admirality?

The bigheaded alien who had been watching them spoke to Bones. "You have refused the option provided to you and so we have brought you three new ones. This one," he gestured at Chapel. "Is young and desires offspring in the near future. This one (motioning to Palmer) is intelligent. And this one is clearly gifted, and is frequently in your thoughts. You may use any of them."

Rose narrowed her eyes for half-a-second before abruptly lashing out with her mind. The Talosian gasped and fell to knees, clutching his head as she hammered furiously at hi weak mental barriers. She carefully kept from damaging his mind though. Such a crime was too horrific to ever be considered an option by a properly raised psychic.

"My crew," she insisted coldly, keeping up the attack. "Are _not_ , science experiments! You _will_ , release us all _immediately_." As she spoke she fired her phaser at the glass, undaunted by the apparant lack of charge. Sure enough, a hole appeared in the glass, the Talosian too wracked with pain to create another illusion.

She abandoned the mental attack and quickly rushed to grab his collar and put a phaser to his head, her crew and the stunned-looking Vina following. They made their way quickly to the surface, hostage in tow where they were confronted by three more Talosians.

"Upon releasing the Magistrate," the middle one said, stepping forward slightly. "You are free to return to your ship and leave our planet."

"Why?" Roe demanded suspiciously, not letting go of the hostage she had.

"We have been given evidence. We had not believed this possible. The customs and history of your race show a unique hatred of captivity. Even when it's pleasant and benevolent, you prefer death. This makes you too violent and dangerous a species for our needs."

"He means that they can't use you," Vina explained softly. "You're free to go back to the ship."

"And that's it?" Rose snapped angrily. "No apologies? You captured one of us, threatened all of us."

"Your unsuitability has condemned the Talosian race to eventual death. Is this not sufficient?" One of the Talosians asked.

"No other specimen has shown your adaptability," the Magistrate added. "You were our last hope."

Rose went pale. She was furious about Bones and her other crewmembers being taken but that didn't mean she wanted the Talosians to go extinct.

"But wouldn't some form of trade, mutual co-operation?" She suggested helplessly and the Magistrate shook his head, looking sad.

"Your race would learn our power of illusion and destroy itself too."

"Captain, we have transporter control now," Lt. Palmer interjected.

"You are free to leave," the Magistrate told them.

"I can't," Vina spoke up and they turned to give her surprised looks. Bones moved closer to her.

"Bones, you talk to her," Rose ordered. "Lt. Palmer. Beam us up."

Given she could sense that Vina genuinely wanted to stay on the planet, she wasn't surprised when Bones arrived alone moment after them.

* * *

 **Okay so either way, romance isn't going to be the main focus of the plot. The main focus is Rose. But I had kinda planned for a Bones/Rose/Spock pairing. However, the story itself seems to be coming out more Rose/Spock, with Bones falling to the wayside. I won't change the Primes but should I leave nutrek!Bones out of it or would you prefer that I give him more screen time and maybe a few chapters with Spock/Bones to develop their relationship too? Again, either way there will be Spock/Rose and the three Primes. And possibly they won't all get together at the same time if I go with the threesome, two of them might get together and then they realize they both love the third too. Haven't decided. I'm putting up a poll on my profile so check it out and vote okay?**


	9. News: The Good and The Bad

**Disclaimer: I don't own Star Trek. This 'episode' is based off a mention from Star Trek: The Animated Series. The events are canon according to that, but I'm making up the Enterprise's journey.**

 ** Chapter 9**

 **News: The Good and The Bad**

"Aurie's pregnant again," Rose announced cheerfully to her two closest friends. "She's due in five months. Sam's ecstatic of course."

Spock inclined his head. "I request you pass on my felicitations to your brother and sister-in-law. I believe they are working on Ap-Lau to help the colony?"

Rose nodded. "Yes, originally they were planning on joining another research colony, Deneva. But they felt that they had a duty to help the Vulcans if they could. They're both research scientists. Sam specializes in engineering and Aurelan has a degree in xenobiology."

"Good people," Bones added. "Didn't they just have their second son?"

Rose nodded. "Davey's six months," she expanded. "Aurie says she's praying for a girl this time," she added with a cheerful laugh.

Bewilderment emanated from Spock. "That is illogical," he claimed. "Prayer will make no difference to-" "We know Spock," Bones cut him off grumpily and Rose felt a surge of guilt at the pain she sensed from him. Of course, his mind had gone straight to his daughter at the mention of children. He hadn't seen Joanna since right before the Enterprise set out.

"Have you heard from Jo recently?" She asked warily. She sensed Spock's confusion.

"Jo is your daughter Dr. McCoy," he half-stated, half-asked. "Why would you not have spoken to her? Is there a problem with communications?"

Bones scowled, shaking his head. "No, comms are fine as far as I know. My ex, Jocelyn, got full custody o' Jo in the divorce. She sent 'er to this fancy boarding school on the Cerberus colony early last year. The kids are only allowed one comm call a week and Joss usually gets it."

Misery eminated from him and Rose bit her lip as she remembered a conversation she'd had earlier this week.

"Rosalyn is putting forward a proposal to redesign several ships to allow officers to bring their families with them," she revealed. The two men looked at her in surprise. "Apparently they did it in her old timeline a century from now and it was very successful. She predicts that recruiting would increase by at least 69% once people knew it was successful. She's asked for my support."

Spock tilted his head thoughtfully. "It would be dangerous," he mused. "How does she propose to ensure the safety of the civilians?"

Rose straightened, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear as she spoke. "Well it's a fascinating idea actually. Revolutionary. She suggests a sort of saucer where the families' quarters and any schoolrooms, bars and stuff that'd be needed for the civilians would be. The medbay would be there too. It would be detachable with a helmsman and ranking officer stationed on a mini-bridge at all times. On the orders of the Captain or First Officer, it could be released from the main ship and would go straight to warp to a pre-programmed safe point.

She has the designs and numbers mostly worked out already. Frankly, I'm inclined to give her my support. I know she has quite a few Admirals convinced too. What's your opinions?"

Bones looked fascinated and his feelings had a small tinge of hope as he offered his own thoughts on the idea. "I think it's an excellent idea as long as proper precautions are taken. The biggest deterrent to joining the 'fleet is having to leave your family behind after all."

Spock nodded. "Indeed, and if it was successful in the old timeline, it stands to reason the Admiral Kirk will be able to ensure it has equal success here."

Rose sat back with a pleased smile. "I think that if they agree to implement it, I'll offer to have the Enterprise as the test drive. I know there's a lot of officers who miss their families. Comms aren't the same." Her eyes flicked toward Bones as she spoke, sensing the pain he felt at being separated from his daughter.

Whether or not they went through with the 'Family Friendly Ships' Project, as Rosalie had labelled it, Rose intended to convince Bones to go to court for at least joint custody of Jo. He was a hero after all, and everyone on Earth owed Rose's crew favours. He would almost certainly win.

She grinned her happily at her men before changing the subject to Spock and Bones' on-going joint project.

They were trying to create a psi-dampener that Rose _wasn't_ allergic to so that she would stop getting migraines from the strain of constantly sensing emotions from her crew. Especially Uhura who never failed to project her hatred and blame for her and Spock's breakup at the captain when they crossed paths.

Speaking of which, Rose was going to have to submit another request to have the comms officer transferred. She was nothing but trouble.

* * *

It was a fortnight later that Rose received the awful news. She was on the bridge for Alpha Shift. It was a strangely calm day, so far all they'd been doing was star-mapping while Rose did her paperwork. Then the call came.

"Captain," Lt. Palmer's voice was professional but worried as she called for Rose's attention. Sensing her Chief Comm Officer's concern, Rose stood, handing her yeoman, Janice Rand, her PADD and making her way over.

"Yes Lt," Rose asked, keeping her composure. "What's wrong? Distress call?"

Elizabeth shook her head. "No ma'am. It's a Priority One from Starfleet. Your eyes only."

Tension began creeping up Rose's spine as she nodded. "Right," she said, turning toward the turbolift. "Transfer the connection to my ready room then. Spock, you have the conn." She waited until Spock had nodded before hurrying into the lift, unable to completely suppress her worried expression.

When she hurried into her ready room, Admiral Archer was on the screen, wearing a serious countenance. She nodded respectfully to him.

Of all the Admirality, Archer was the one that Rose had the most respect for. When relief had finally come to Tarsus IV, Archer had been the one to bring it. He'd been obviously distraught over Hoshi's death and Rose's admiration for him had begun when she'd seen him, tears glistening in his eyes, still manage to calmly take control.

He'd visited each of the survivors in the medbay and, unlike everyone else save Pike and Boyce, hadn't treated them like stupid little kids who were too traumatized to dress themselves. He'd been the one to teach her chess. Now, almost thirteen years later, she'd considered him a good friend.

"Admiral," Rose greeted him respectfully with a nod, taking her seat. "What can I do for you?"

He didn't smile, maintaining his grim expression. "Some of the brass think that you'll be emotionally compromised by this mission," he began bluntly.

Rose blinked in surprise at his words, though the abruptness was typical.

"However," he went on. "I know you. I have confidence that if you feel your judgement is clouded, you'll have the sense to hand command to Cmdr. Spock. Am I correct?"

Rose nodded slowly, wondering what was going on. "I should hope so," she told him firmly. "And in case, if necessary, I trust S-Cmdr. Spock and Cmdr. McCoy to relieve me of duty if they feel I'm unfit to command the ship. What's the mission Sir?"

Archer exhaled deeply. "We received several reports from the colony planet of Cerberus that they were having crop failures due to a bad storm destroying most of the fields. They were also reporting a group stirring up trouble, not quite enough to be labelled terrorists but nearly. We diverted a ship with supplies to them but we've lost contact with both the colony and with the USS Defiant, which was sent to give them the supplies. The Enterprise is the only ship that can be there within a month so you're being sent to investigate. You can handle it."

It was a statement, not a question and Rose straightened in determination. She'd felt a surge of horror filled memories when Archer had started explaining the mission history. It was so similar to the tragic events of her teenage years that she'd nearly been sick. And Cerberus was where Joanna was. How could she tell Bones that his precious daughter's life was in jeopardy?

But when Archer had insisted she could manage the situation, Rose had stubbornly grabbed on to his words and clung to them like she was drowning and they were her lifebelt. She was Captain Rosalind Ophelia Kirk, Captain of the USS Enterprise and First Daughter of the First Son of the Fifteenth House of Betazed.

Memories of a long-gone past would not be the thing that defeated her. She wouldn't let herself be defeated. She nodded firmly.

"Yes Sir," she answered firmly, lifting her chin. "I'll order the course change immediately. Full warp."

A small smile flickered onto Archer's face for the first time since the briefing had begun. "I have complete faith in you Captain Kirk," he told her softly. "You do Hoshi proud. You always were her favourite student. Archer out."

The screen went black before Rose could regain her voice and she was forced, despite herself, to stay seated for a moment, battling her bloody memories and struggling to suppress her terror and grief. When she'd finally regained control of herself, she reached for the comm and called the bridge.

"Kirk to Bridge."

"Bridge here, Captain," Palmer answered smoothly.

"Have Sulu change course to the Cerberus colony," Rose ordered briskly. "I'm headed to the medbay to speak with Dr. McCoy for a bit about our next mission. I'll see the department heads in my ready room at 1600 hours."

"Yes Captain," Palmer replied professionally. "Anything else?"

"No that's it," Rose promised "Kirk out." She sat still for another moment, trying to gather the strength to tell Bones the awful news, before standing and making her way to the medbay.

When she entered, Bones was nowhere to be seen.

"Captain?" Christine was obviously surprised to see her. Given Rose's hatred of any sort of hospital, it wasn't very shocking. Rose only ever willingly came to the medbay to visit injured or sick crewmembers, but never on duty. This had never happened before.

"Christine," Rose greeted her with a nod. "Where's Bones? I need to speak to him straight away."

"He's just giving a check-up to Lt. Rodriguez," Christine explained. Rose frowned, partially distracted by her words.

"Lt. Esteban Rodriguez?" She clarified. "Was there an accident with one of their experiments or is it just a regular exam?"

Given she'd recently given approval for a study on nanites, and Lt. Rodriguez was a part of it, she thought that she had the right to be concerned. The last thing that she needed was for some of her scientists to start rapidly aging or de-aging. Thankfully, Christine hastily shook her head.

"It's just his regular physical, ma'am," she promised. "Nothing to be worried about. Dr. McCoy had nothing else to do so he decided to do it himself."

"Then why don't you take over and I can speak to Bones," Rose suggested pointedly. Christine looked bemused but nodded hesitantly, heading to the examination room to alert the CMO to Rose's arrival.

"What's this all about then?" The doctor demanded. "I was with a patient Rose! It couldn't have waited five more minutes?"

Rose shook her head grimly. "No," she told him softly. Her expression and tone had Bones on guard instantly, dread rising in him. "Bones, something's happened. Let's go into your office." Bones ignored how she acted as if she were inviting him into her domain. All the ship _was_ technically Rose's territory after all, and they walked the short distance to the CMO's office in silence.

After they'd settled into their chosen seats, Rose took a deep breath to gather her courage. "Bones I just received our new mission orders," she told him, carefully choosing her words and monitoring his emotions with her empathy. "A colony has gone silent after reporting food problems and terrorist activity," she paused and met his eyes, leaning forward to grasp his hand as she felt the horrified realization begin to rise in him, combined with a desperate denial. "It's Cerberus, where Jo is."

"No!" Bones barked out desperately. He yanked his hand away and leapt to his feet to pace, shaking his head in frantic denial. "No, it's not possible! Jo's fine, she-" he broke off and fell to his knees, burying his head in his hands and sobbing in anguish. Rose slid down beside him, enveloping him in a hug and rocking him gently, whispering that everything was going to be alright, they would find Jo and she would be fine.

Truthfully though, Rose knew that, for Jo, nothing would ever be _fine_ again. Even if it wasn't as bad as Tarsus, the young girl would forever be scarred by her experiences. She clenched her eyes shut and gently connected with Bones' warm mind. With help from their physical contact, she sent him to sleep, hoping that it would help ease his grief.

When he had fallen deeply asleep in her lap, she buried her own head in her hands and started to sob, flooded yet again by memories of blood, screams and terror.

* * *

 **This is the first of a two-part 'episode'. I was gonna have her brief the department heads here as well, but this seemed like a good place to end it. There is little to no information about what happened on Cerberus on Memory Alpha, so I'm making it up completely. I hope you enjoy it. As always R &R! And thanks to anyone who has followed/favourited my story.**


	10. Cerberus: The Guardian of Hell

**Disclaimer: I don't own Star Trek. Freedom Child is a song by the Script. (Greatest band in history, I'm not even joking. They're amazing.) Warning for mentions of a massacre, genocide, famine and other related topics.**

 **Chapter Nine** **Cerberus: The Guardian of Hell**

 _ **Tarsus Four, Stardate 2246.241**_

 _"Don't let them take,_

 _take your freedom, Chiilldd," Rose sung the twenty-first century song softly as she rocked Sharai in her stick-thin arms. It had been exactly nine days since the massacre._

 _In that nine days, Rose had gathered seventeen survivors of Kodos' 'cleansing' or whatever he was calling it, Abbie, a four-year-old human with diabetes and her neighbour Thera, a twelve-year-old Andorian/Human hybrid had both died, Tom, Sharai and her sweet young cousin Ciara had both gotten deathly sick and Kodos had executed thirteen people who'd refused to accept his 'Lists'._

 _Rose, at fourteen-years-old, had taken over the position of leader despite Andrea and Alice being three and four years older than her. Rose was only one of the teens who hadn't gotten completely hysterical after all. She could only thank the Four Deities that her Granddad Jim had insisted on teaching Sam and her all about wilderness survival and battlefield medicine, they'd've been doomed otherwise._

 _"Lin?" A small voice interrupted her thoughts and she quickly looked up. 'Lin' was what everyone was calling her. She'd decided that everyone would to use nicknames to prevent their group being given up if Kodos caught anyone._

 _"What is it Riley?" She asked softly, shifting Sharai, (a.k.a Rey)._

 _Kevin Riley, six-years-old and condemned to die because his father wore glasses and had an allergy to Retinax, looked solemnly at her. "Andy says Cara's gotten worse," he reported. "You've gotta come quick."_

 _Rose quickly passed four-year-old Rey to ten-year-old Megan 'Maggie' and rushed as fast as she could to the corner of the cave where Andrea kept watch on the invalids._

 _Ciara, her baby cousin, who'd always been so sweet, happy and, most of all, healthy, was pale but for her flushed cheeks, and coughing violently. When her fit stopped, Rose was sick to see the blood on her cousin's white lips from the coughing._

 _Andrea met her eyes, grief and resignation in her gaze as Rose's heart broke and she fell to her knees beside Ciara._

 _Stardate 2259.33_

Rose was pale as she entered the briefing room with Dr. M'Benga in tow, but any evidence of her crying fit had, thankfully, been erased.

"Captain," Spock greeted her calmly but Rose sensed a thread of concern for both her and the missing CMO coming from him. "Where is Dr. McCoy?"

Rose sighed as she answered. Everybody dropped into their chairs as she sat. "Dr. McCoy is emotionally compromised by the current mission," she reported. "I decided to relieve him of duty until it's over. For the duration of the mission, Dr. M'Benga is Acting Chief Medical Officer."

Spock bowed his head in acceptance while the others exchanged worried looks and Rose continued on grimly.

"We are on route to the colony planet of Cerberus," she explained briskly, ignoring the anxiety coming from her officers. "They reported food problems and terrorist activity before suddenly going silent. The USS Defiant was sent to investigate and Starfleet lost contact with them right after they arrived. That was two weeks ago. We're being sent to investigate and, in the event of hostilities on planet, to restore order. Any questions?"

When most of them shook their heads their heads, Rose dismissed them to prepare for the mission. Spock stayed behind, concern leaking through the Vulcan's shields.

"What's wrong, Spock?" Rose asked, trying to suppress her exhaustion. He looked at her silently for a moment before speaking.

"I believe that I feel concerned for Dr. McCoy's daughter, and the doctor himself. I am correct when I say that Cerberus is the planet on which Joanna McCoy is currently residing?"

Rose nodded, giving in and burying her head in her hands. "Yes," she moaned miserably, her Captain's mask collapsing to show her terror and grief. "Yes, Jo's there. Oh God, she's there."

Spock's hesitance was obvious as he reached out to try and comfort her. He patted her back carefully as she cried into her hands. The room was silent but for her anguished sobs for several minutes until she forced herself under control. Her face was tearstained when she finally finished.

"Alright," she croaked out after she'd gotten herself back under control. She pulled out a compact make-up kit from her belt-pouch and started hiding the evidence of her breakdown. When she was done, she put it away and turned to look seriously at her quiet XO.

"Spock," she said to him seriously. "If, at any time during this mission, you feel that my judgement is compromising my decisions, I want you to relieve me of command and take over. Understood?"

Surprise flickered briefly in his eyes before he bowed his head in acknowledgement.

Rose gave a weak half-smile, "Dismissed," she murmured. "I'll be out once I've fixed my hair." He nodded and left, Rose's shoulders slumped immediately. She knew that she should have told him about Tarsus, told him just how compromising this mission was for her, but she couldn't bring herself to speak of it. And, if Rosalie was any indication of her future, she still wouldn't be able to in several decades from now. She buried her face back in her hands and sighed to keep from screaming.

"Still no answer, ma'am," Palmer announced tensely. Rose pursed her lips.

"Well," she sighed. "Three failures to respond, I think we can assume that we won't be getting one." She rested her chin on her palm in thought as the others nodded. "Alright," she slapped the arm of her chair and stood.

"Bridge to Security," she commed Giotto and he answered immediately. A brief feeling of pride at her crew sparked in her chest before she went to work. "Chief, I want three full security squads ready to go in ten," she ordered.

"Yes ma'am," he replied crisply. "Security out."

She turned to Spock. "You're coming too," she ordered bluntly. "Call for a replacement Science Officer and head to the transporter room when you're ready. Palmer," she turned her attention do the Chief Communications Officer. "You have the conn," she decided.

Palmer looked surprised. "Are you sure ma'am?" She asked warily. "I-"

"I trust you," Rose assured her. "Have M'Ress take over your station."

Palmer straightened, her eyes brightening. "Thank you, ma'am," she said earnestly. "I won't let you down, I swear." Rose nodded and smiled at her. This wouldn't be Palmer's first time holding the conn, but it would be when there was a crisis and both of the commanding officers off-ship.

"I'll do a quick log and see the landing party in the transporter room," she murmured to Spock as they entered the turbolift. He nodded solemnly in acknowledgement.

 _Captain's log: Stardate 2259.33_

 _We are currently in orbit around the colony planet of Cerberus II. It has been out of contact for a week now, after reporting food shortages and terrorist activity. The USS Defiant, captained by Ryan Barstow, was sent to investigate but is now also out of contact._

 _Since our arrival an hour ago, no one has responded to our hailing frequencies. (Deep inhale and exhale). I am taking a landing party, consisting of myself, Commander Spock and three security squads. I am, concerned, that the event that occurred when I was a teenager, will affect my judgement. Seal this log. Captain's code, Kirk, Rosalind O. Code Hash-Sixty-Delta-Nine-Three._

They appeared on the edge of the main town, less than a mile from Jo's school. The place was disconcertingly empty when they materialized. The redshirts that beamed down with them quickly formed a perimeter around Rose and Spock as the second and third groups appeared and joined them.

"Why's it so empty?" Rose muttered rhetorically. "No _body_ around, no _thing_ around." She strode through the barrier the redshirts had made, ignoring the protests of her companions as she walked to the streetlamp, ripping the flyer from it.

"Damn it," she swore as she scanned the sheet. (Paper, of all the things. Rose loved real books but _this_ was a waste of the stuff.)

"What does it say, Captain?" Spock asked, stepping nearer to her. She continued studied it in search of any hidden clues.

"It says," she gritted out. "That a new government is in place. It claims that anyone who protests will be charged with treason. There's a list of people who are ordered to hand themselves over by midnight yesterday or they and their families will be 'escorted' to prison. Basically, there was a coup and anyone who had any real claim to authority was either taken hostage themselves or their families were. _Damn_ it!"

She hit the lamp with the side of her clenched fist. Her officers sent her shocked looks and she felt more frustration surge at the realization that she'd just lost control of her emotions in public for the first in years. Spock studied her warily but other than concern for her, she didn't sense any worry over her judgement yet. Hopefully it would stay that way.

"Alright," she inhaled. "How many do we have? Twenty-two, counting Spock and I. Okay, so I want us to split up into teams of five with two teams of six. Spock will go with one team to search the school, I'll take another to the town hall. Hendorff, you and your group will set up a command here. Everyone else, search the town. I want to know where everyone is and what the hell happened. Got it?"

Everyone nodded and Giotto swiftly divided everyone into teams. He, and the Lts. Compton, Dickerson, Evans and Fields, were with her. They were all good, experienced men. And Spock had Kelly, Freeman, Galloway, Jackson and Garrovick with him. He would be safe.

"Alright," Rose sighed after the teams had been sorted. "Let's go." She turned and began making her way in the direction of the town hall, the guards making a loose circle around her. It got steadily more disconcerting, seeing no one when the place seemed as if it should be buzzing. The town hall itself seemed to be boarded up from the inside.

It was the biggest building in the colony, capable of holding four thousand people comfortably, probably at least another five hundred if they squashed themselves in. The town itself, the capital of Cerberus, held about seven thousand beings.

She felt an oppressing sense of grief, fear and anger pressing at her shields and it worsened her stress. This mission was from her nightmares, definitely.

"Captain!" Freeman, who was scanning for lifeforms, abruptly exclaimed. "There's a huge group of lifeforms just ahead. In the town hall, I'd guess."

Rose frowned in suspicion. "The town hall? How many do you know?"

"Around there anyway," Freeman nodded. "And no. Sorry, ma'am, they're too densely packed together to tell the amount."

She sighed but nodded in acceptance. "Alright then," she marched up to the building, into the full view of the surrounding windows. She felt a small bit of amusement at the resignation coming from her security at her dangerous actions before holding a handheld voice amplifier to her lips.

"This is Captain Rosalind Kirk of Starfleet. I demand to speak to whomever is in charge, under the authority of the United Federation of Planets!" Her voice boomed loudly through the square.

Almost straight away, her comm buzzed, alerting her to a call from an unknown responder.

"This is Captain Ryan Barstow of the USS Defiant. Confirm you are Captain Kirk," the voice was rough but Rose could hear the desperation hidden under the man's carefully controlled demand.

"Captain Barstow," Rose greeted. She paused for a moment before offering her evidence. "Six-Hash-Cee." It was a code provided to Starfleet captains. It allowed access to captains' logs from the year 2239, the year of Barstow's elevation to captain according to the file Rose had been given. It would serve as proof of her identity for now.

Sure enough, he sighed in relief. "Thank God," he said. "Apologies for that, Kirk. I-"

"Had to be sure," she cut him off. "Don't worry, Barstow. I get it. You and your crew?"

"We're sealed in the hall, like you suspect I'm sure," he answered. "Fuckers shot out the Defiant's left nacelle. She went down. Only about forty escaped via the transmat. Me and about ten others were planetside already by then. We're shut up in here with most of the town and no long-ranged comms."

"Can you let us in?" She asked. "And do I need to get medics down here?"

"Yes, and yes," he replied, voice grim. "I gotta say, you're just in time. We were on the verge of running out of hope completely."

"I'm sure," Rose murmured, glancing over the desolate town. "Chief Giotto, contact the ship. Get some medics down, yesterday."

It took over an hour before Rose finally got to sit down in what had once been the governor's office with Captain Barstow. The man was the sickly thin that came from losing a great deal of weight rapidly. He was eating a replicated bowl of vegetable soup with a slice of bread and Rose recognized the way he was unconsciously guarding it. He hadn't eaten in days at least.

"So what happened?" Rose prodded gently. "You don't have to stop eating, just tell me what happened."

Barstow nodded, swallowing his latest mouthful before speaking. "So we arrived here, oh about two weeks ago? Things went to hell pretty quickly. They didn't respond to our hails so I took a group down. Landed smack in the middle of an attack in the middle of a firefight. Lost five men." A dark look crossed his face and Rose simply bowed her head.

She knew from experience that 'I'm sorry's and 'It wasn't your fault's only made you feel worse.

"Well everything was a mess but the basics of the situation is that the government was overthrown. A storm damaged their supplies and communications, it was a peaceful planet so they only had the standard Starfleet detachment. The pirates were able to take control fairly quick. And they shot out my ship's nacelles.

We were completely unprepared. It's taken the whole two weeks to gather all these survivors and we ran out of supplies four days ago. Our best chance was to hunker down and wait for Starfleet to send more reinforcements." There was a hint of defensiveness in his voice and expression as he spoke.

Rose nodded slowly, lost in thought. "These pirates," she began after a minute of silence. "What do you know about them?"

Barstow scowled bitterly. "Bastards," he cursed. "They're a group of multi-species pirates that got hold of a ship with warp six capabilities and heavy arms. They took advantage of the storm damage to make a coup. Killed off most of the local governance and took a bunch of hostages. They've set themselves up in the school with some of the children and a teacher who got trapped. I couldn't do anything to help them."

The guilt on his face was obvious and it seemed as thick as if he were intentionally projecting it, but Rose was too busy trying to make her start her heart beating again. _'Spock and Jo'_ she thought immediately, terror rising as she struggled to suppress her memories of Tarsus.

"The school, you're sure?" She was amazed at how steady her voice was as she questioned him. He nodded, an anguished look in his eyes.

Rose quickly picked up her comm and tried to contact Spock. She closed her own eyes in resignation when he didn't reply. Then she abruptly stood and hurried to open the door. Giotto was standing just outside, waiting for her.

"Prep for a firefight," Rose barked. "They have hostages in the school. We're taking it back."

Spock acknowledged that he was _displeased_ with the situation. It was illogical to deny the facts and currently the fact was he was annoyed. He was also (he suspected at least) _surprised_ that he had managed to correctly identify his upset without Rose's guidance. He _hoped_ that Rose would realize the situation and save him and the remaining security officers. Finally, he _regretted_ and _grieved_ for the deaths of Garrovick and Kelly.

Having finished sorting through his emotional state, Spock opened his eyes to study the room. It contained himself (in handcuffs), a shocked Galloway and five young children. Spock looked back at one of the girls. She was brunette, with bright blue eyes tinted red from tears. She was also, he recognized from the photo on Dr. McCoy's desk, Joanna McCoy.

"Joanna," he called softly so as not to attract attention. She jerked her chin up, staring at him in what humans called 'wide-eyed surprise'. "I know your father," he explained. "Are you well?"

She sniffled and scrambled over to his side leaning against him. "Yeah. Will Daddy be here soon?"

"You will see him soon," Spock swore. "I, and Captain Kirk, will ensure it."

 _2259.34_

Rose had agreed, reluctantly, that full on attacking the school and ripping the pirates apart was a bad idea. But Giotto's idea, though simple, was a good one. That was why, the next day, Rose, three of her security squads, Bastow and all of his remaining security personnel beamed straight into the centre of the school.

They materialized right in the middle of the pirate captain, _attempting,_ to intimidate Spock into talking. The sight of a blaster pointing at her Vulcan infuriated Rose and she attacked without a waiting a beat. The Defiant's crew were barely a half-a-second behind her.

Truthfully, it all felt a bit anti-climatic to the captain. The pirates had won by numbers and the fact that the locals had been starving and surprised. It only took about two hours to fully secure the school. The hostages were found traumatized but alive in various classrooms.

Rose promptly fell to her knees and wrapped Jo in a tight hug as the sobbing girl launched herself into her arms.

"Auntie Rose!" The child sobbed as Rose stroked her hair and sent her waves of safety and love. "I was so scared! Is Daddy here?"

"I know, Baby," Rose cooed. "It's okay now, I promise. You're safe. And yes, Daddy's just on the ship. I'll get Spock to take you to him, now."

"Why can't you take me?" Jo begged, face crumpling again. Rose smoothed the girl's hair and sighed.

"I wish I could, honey," she said regretfully. "But I've gotta organize all of this. I'm sorry sweetheart. Spock's safe, I pinky swear."

She handed the traumatized child over to her Vulcan imzadi and waved gently as they disappeared in the transporter beam. Then her smile disappeared and she grimly contemplated her new knowledge.

Spock and Bones were her imzadis. The Four Deities help her.

 **AN: I'm sorry, I struggled so much with this chapter and rewrote it several times. This is the best I can do. I promise the next ones will make up for it. Next up, the aftermath of Cerberus and Rose's realization!**


	11. Aftermath of Cerberus

**Disclaimer: I don't own Star Trek**

 **Chapter Ten**

 **The Aftermath of Cerberus**

By now, the whole crew of the Enterprise knew that Rosalind Kirk considered her hair her most important feature. She used only the best quality haircare products on it, gave it a hundred strokes with her brush in both the morning and the evening and it was always in some elaborate updo that would take most people hours but she somehow managed to pin into place in a few seconds. So yes, Rose took care of her hair. That was why everyone was so shocked that, the day after Cerberus' liberation, she had it in a messy plait that hung down her back.

It was very illogical, he knew. But the sight of Rose's plait caused a shiver of what he identified as unease to go up Spock's spine. His discomfort increased when he saw that she had no make-up on, revealing her pale face and the shadows under her black Betazoid eyes. Even during the Nero disaster, Rose had taken care of her appearance as much as possible.

She'd later revealed to him that she believed that if a captain was in a disarray, it would affect the crew. Her hypothesis was proven true by the anxiety that had started to run through the crew at the sight of their less-than-perfect commanding officer.

"Spock," she called at the sight of him, her voice not quite managing to conceal her exhaustion. "Are you cleared to return to the bridge?"

He nodded, stepping off the turbolift. Lt. Alden was blatantly happy to be relieved, casting a worried look at Rose as he made his way to the lift himself.

"Captain," Spock asked, tipping his head to the left. "Have you been on the bridge all night? If so, I highly advise you finish your shift and go to rest. You require a minimum of-" she cut him off, giving a tense smile and waving him off.

"It's good of you to be concerned, Spock," her voice was 'laced with steel' as the humans said. "But I've a lot to do, and I'm waiting for a connection to be established with Headquarters. I'll try and rest after I've given them report." With that, she looked back down at her PADD, dismissing him.

Spock was briefly stunned, he could privately admit. He was unused to Captain Kirk dismissing him in any manner. Spock privately prided himself on being Captain's Kirk's most trusted and most listened to advisor. It was disconcerting for her to ignore his opinions in any manner, let alone as curtly as she just had.

Spock was evidently not the only one surprised, as he spotted what he believed to be worry and bemusement on Chekov, Sulu and Yeoman Rand's faces as well. Quietly, Spock made his way to the science station, bending over it to scan the screen just as the turbolift reopened.

He glanced up briefly to see who was on Alpha shift for the communications station, only to stiffen as he spotted Lt. Nyota Uhura disembarking with her typical expression of what most of the crew described as 'haughty', on her face.

"Lt. Uhura," Rose said without glancing up. "You were due to take over from Lt. Farrell ten minutes ago. Do you have a reason for your tardiness?" Her voice was clearly showcasing her displeasure with the other woman's lack of punctuality.

Rose wasn't a harsh commanding officer. She had gotten rid of the rule of coming to attention when a superior officer arrived, deeming it a waste of time, and she interceded on several reprimands due to uniforms not quite adhering to regs. That said, if you went around embarrassing her crew you would swiftly regret it, and she hated lack of punctuality with a passion.

 _'There's letting my crew feel at home on the ship they're going to be living on for who-knows-how long,'_ he remembered her saying. ' _And there's being unprofessional. I won't give anyone a reason to say my crew's anything less than the best of the best!'_

"I was eating breakfast," the pause was just a beat too long to be excusable. "Ma'am."

Rose didn't look up, "Go to your station, Lieutenant," she directed. "Lt. Farrell, excellent work. Go get some rest, you've earned it."

Looking eager to remove himself from the tense atmosphere of the bridge, Farrell scrambled to the lift, giving a sloppy salute as he did so. Uhura stood in the same place for another moment before beginning to move. To Spock's dismay, she very deliberately brushed by him on her way to the communications station.

"I'm expecting a call from Headquarters," Rose told Uhura mildly. "When you receive it, I'll be alerted on my PADD and you can patch it through to my ready room."

Spock wondered if she was warning the other woman of something. He wasn't certain but he thought she might be. He would request that Rose explain the subtexts of the conversation later when the stress of the mission was over. They worked in an uncharacteristic silence for once with Uhura occasionally shooting contempt-filled glances at the captain until finally Rose went to her ready room, giving Spock the conn.

* * *

Rose entered the room, drooping slightly with exhaustion. Unsurprisingly, she hadn't slept since this whole mess had begun. What _was_ a shock, though, was the sight of Rosalyn's tired face on the screen.

"I thought you were on the colony," Rose blurted out. That was just further proof of her fatigue. Rose never 'blurted out' anything. She took great care to choose her words. Rosalyn grimaced at her in reply.

"I'm just here because of Cerberus," she explained, running a hand through her greying hair, done in its own plait. (Dutch in comparison to Rose's French. The similarities and differences between them were oddly significant to the younger version.)

"So what's the situation?" Rosalyn asked briskly, smoothing down her Admiral's uniform and sitting straighter. Rose copied her unconsciously.

"Out of the seven thousand colonists, we've about five thousand and fifty-something survivors," she began, adopting a distant tone for the sake of keeping her sanity intact. "As far as we can tell, the whole government was wiped out by the pirates, and their families were taken to be held as hostages.

Everyone is traumatized and hungry, and most of them need medical attention. My people are doing their best, but they can't cope with these numbers. The Defiant's gone. Scotty took a group to check out the crash site but it looks like the pirates stripped it. Nothing to salvage.

The pirates themselves are all either in custody or dead as far as we can tell, but I haven't begun questioning them just yet. I thought that I should report first."

Rosalyn nodded absently, flattening her braid. "Good call," she sighed. "Don't bother with the questioning. Whoever takes over from you will be able to handle that." She sighed again, looking worn-out and haunted. "I suppose we'll have to close the colony. The Four know that no one will want to step foot on the planet again. If it's even liveable after the crop damage."

"I don't know," Rose admitted. "I can have Botany preform a preliminary survey to see, if you like?"

"Yes, that'd be helpful if you can manage it," Rosalyn agreed. "How's the Enterprise handling everything?"

"My crew doesn't have the numbers to deal with this," Rose admitted to her counterpart lowly. "And," she hesitated before continuing. "I can't cope with this. I need to get away from this. My shields are barely holding."

Rosalyn nodded understandingly, a knowing look in her eye. "I get it," she assured her. And, of course, she did. A brief, stressful conversation had established their almost-identical experiences on Tarsus IV.

"Reinforcements, who have the ability and numbers to deal with this, will be there by late tomorrow, two days at most," Rosalyn went on.

Rose noticed a stray strand of hair falling loose from her braid, and felt a stab of worry that her own appearance was as messy.

"Then, as soon as you've briefed them, you can return to your previous course. And we have a psychologist, Dr. Elizabeth Dehner, en route to join your crew too."

Rose frowned at her tone. "You knew her?" She guessed, Rosalyn shrugging slightly. If she were here, Lady Ophelia would be horrified at 'such uncouth actions'. If she hadn't already fainted from horror at her granddaughter's unkept appearance, that is.

"Briefly," Rosalyn admitted. "She was assigned to my ship just before we caught the Valiant's distress signal. She was affected by the ESP attack, though not as strongly as Gary. She was killed."

"What was she like?"

"She had firm opinions," Rosalyn answered after a moment of thought. It had been a very short acquaintance a very long time ago after all.

"And she didn't understand Spock, unsurprisingly. She showed symptoms later than Gary and while we were discussing what to do about him, Spock mentioned that Gary wasn't human anymore. She took insult to him stating that. Personally, I think she let it cloud her judgement. In the end though, she sacrificed herself to stop him. Of course, that was my universe. I haven't met her in this timeline so I can't say anything for this realities' version of her."

Rose sighed and rubbed her temples. "I need Uhura off the ship," she suddenly confessed and Rosalyn blinked, cocking her head to side in an echo of Spock's head tilt.

"She's constantly projecting feelings of contempt and bitterness and, I, I just can't do it anymore. I need her gone. I know she was one of your friends but-"

"No," Rosalyn shook her head in disagreement. "Commander Nyota Scott-Uhura was one of my friends. Lt. Nyota Uhura is, to be blunt, a spoilt brat. It's your ship, your crew. Do what's best for it, don't try and copy me."

"Thanks," Rose slumped back in her chair, feeling a weight lift from her shoulders.

"Leave her on Cerberus," Rosalyn replied. "I'll send her orders for her reassignment today."

"Thanks," Rose repeated. "Enterprise out."

Rosalyn nodded respectfully back at her. "Starfleet out." The screen went out and Rose spent several minutes just staring blankly at it before she abruptly found herself making her way to Bones' quarters.

She opened the door and stepped in softly. For the first time since Archer's comm, a smile broke out on her face. The sight was heart-warming and she felt herself being reinvigorated by it and the feelings of love and safety and contentedness that was flowing from the two McCoys.

She leaned against the doorway and revelled in the atmosphere of the room as Bones gently rocked his daughter, whispering an old story to the half-asleep Joanna. He glanced up at her, and sent a mental invitation. She pressed away from the doorframe and went to sit beside them. If they felt like a family, instead of a father, daughter, and their friend. Well. No one had to know, did they?


	12. The Black Widow of Salt

**Disclaimer: Don't own any version of Star Trek.**

 **Chapter Eleven**

**The Black Widow of Salt**

 _Captain's log, Stardate 2259.45. Our position, orbiting planet M-113. On board the Enterprise, Mister Spock temporarily in command. On the planet the ruins of an ancient and long-dead civilisation. Chief Medical Officer McCoy and myself are now beaming down to the planet's surface. Our mission, routine medical examination of archaeologist Robert Crater and his wife Nancy. Routine but for the fact that Nancy Crater was Doctor McCoy's high school girlfriend before he met Jocelyn._

* * *

 _ **M-113, Stardate 2259.45**_

"Should we grab some flowers first Bones?" Rose teased her friend, gesturing at the tufts of plants scattered around the planet. "Us girls expect gifts, ya know."

McCoy scowled at her, a faint flush dusting his cheeks. "You say that like you're an actual girl, not a suicidal lunatic."

Rose simply laughed, amused at her friend. Bones never meant to be hurtful, especially not to her, he was simply a grumpy man in general. Now, if he ignored, as he'd done to Spock for the time between Nero and their mission, when she'd forced them to get along, that was his way of saying he didn't like you. She reached out to squeeze his hand as he gave an anxious look to the lone house on the hilltop that they were headed for.

"Seriously though," she said to him gently. "Are you absolutely okay with this?" She'd asked him already, and didn't feel anything other than a bit of nervousness, but he was her best friend and she didn't want to upset him.

He nodded giving her an affectionate look. "I'm good," he insisted. "And unlike you, I actually say when I'm not okay with something. Nancy was my first love, but we broke up on good terms and we've both moved on. We're just friends."

"Let's go then," Rose ordered and began walking. "The others'll be along in a bit, we've come down a few minutes early." Bones fell into step at her left side. Her right felt slightly exposed, without Spock pacing behind it.

A minute later, Crewman Darnell beamed down and ran to catch up with them.

* * *

 _ **M-113, Stardate 2259.45**_

They heard singing as a woman entered and promptly clapped, a beam on her face as she exclaimed "Leonard!"

"Nancy," McCoy answered affectionately, not noticing the hint of a frown that flashed over his captain's face as she studied the woman grimly.

"Hello," Nancy greeted him, giving him a swift hug before pulling away.

"It's good to see you," McCoy told her.

"Let me look at you," she replied with a smile.

"You haven't aged a day," McCoy claimed. "Oh, this is Captain Rose Kirk of the Enterprise."

Rose's smile didn't reach her eyes as shook Nancy's hand. "Mrs. Crater. I've heard a great deal about you."

"All good, I hope," was the cheerful response.

"And Crewman Darnell," McCoy finished.

Darnell's eyes were wide and his jaw loose as he stared at Nancy. "How do you do, ma'am?" He croaked. Rose gave him a sharp look, tinged with worry.

"Something wrong, Darnell?"

"Excuse me but, ma'am, if I didn't know better I would swear you were someone I left behind on Wrigley's Pleasure Planet. It's funny, you're exactly like a girl that-"

"A little less mouth, Darnell!" McCoy barked, looking embarrassed. Darnell flushed, looking down. Rose sighed and her eyes fluttered closed briefly.

"I'm sorry," Darnell apologized. "I didn't mean to. I mean, I know it's impossible, of course."

"Why don't you step outside, Darnell," Rose suggested, wanting to get her younger crewmember away and taking the excuse. Darnell flushed again and nodded.

"Yes, ma'am. Thank you, ma'am."

"Maybe I'll step outside, too," Rose murmured, wanting to comm the Spock and reveal that 'Nancy' was an active and strong telepath.

"What?" Nancy objected. "And let Plum examine me all alone?"

"Plum?" Rose blinked, glancing at Bones. He flushed in embarrassment.

"Plum," he repeated sheepishly.

"A nickname I gave Leonard when we were very young," Nancy explained shamelessly.

"I'll, er, I'll wait for the professor and I'll catch you both at once," Bones decided, changing the subject quickly.

Nancy sighed, heading for the door. Rose tensed, but seeing as it was opposite the one Darnell had exited through, she remained in place. "I'd better go get Bob. Every time he starts digging he forgets time, sleep, food, everything. Be back in a minute."

* * *

 _Captain's log, additional entry. Since our mission was routine, we had beamed down to the planet without suspicion. When we got there, it was too late by the time I recognized 'Nancy Crater' as an active telepath, and I could neither warn my crewmen in the landing party, or those on board the ship without alerting her. I take full responsibility for what happened next._

* * *

A man entered, an unhappy expression on his face. Rose stepped forward, reaching out her hand for a shake.

"Professor Crater, I'm Captain Kirk. This is-"

"The heroic Captain and the intrepid doctor cross interstellar space to preserve our health," Crater scoffed sarcastically. Rose withdrew her hand, lips pursing at the rude tone.

"Your sense of duty is overwhelming," he continued, oblivious to the captain's rising temper, which had considerably shortened since Cerberus. "Now will you please go back where you came from and tell whoever issues your orders to leave me and my wife alone. We need salt against the heat. Aside from that, we're doing very well, thank you."

"I'm pleased you're doing well but I'm required to confirm that fact," McCoy insisted stubbornly, a frown growing on his face.

"Doubtless the good surgeon will enjoy prodding and poking us with his arcane machinery," Crater sneered. "Go away, we don't want you."

"What you want is unimportant right now," McCoy informed him flatly. "What you will get is required by the book."

"Quote. All research personnel on alien planets are required to have their health certified by a starship surgeon at one-year intervals," Rose pipped in, now certain that something was very wrong on the planet. "Like it or not, Professor, as commander of the starship, I'm required-"

"To show your gold braid to everyone," Crater said deridingly. "You love it, don't you."

"He's all yours, Plum," Rose held her temper in check only because she could now sense that Crater was utterly terrified for their lives. Oh yes, something was definitely wrong with this planet. She gestured at Bones, continuing a mental control exercise. "Doctor McCoy."

"Sit down and breathe deeply, please," McCoy instructed Crater, unhooking his tricorder from his belt.

Curiosity flashed across Crater's face as he reluctantly sat. "Did I hear you call him Doctor McCoy?"

"You did," Bones confirmed.

"McCoy," Crater repeated thoughtfully. "I've heard Nancy speak of a man named Leonard McCoy."

"That's me. Didn't she mention I was here?"

Crater looked confused. "You've seen Nancy?"

Dread filled Rose's heart as she stepped forward, her thoughts going straight to her crewman, on his own outside with a telepath. "She went out to get you."

"You've seen her too?" Crater inquired, eyebrow wrinkling. "You were with the good Doctor?"

Rose's pupiless eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Yes. Why?"

Crater hastily shook his head, straightening his jacket. "Nothing. It's just that it gives me pleasure to know that she's gotten to see an old friend and has a chance for some company. It's different for me, I enjoy solitude. But my wife is more social. She likes company, and can get frustrated, on her own with just me for company and irregular familial contact. You understand, of course."

"Well, it certainly hasn't aged her. She looks exactly as I last saw her seven years ago. Amazing, Jim. Like a girl of twenty-five."

Rose's suspicion grew. Nancy hadn't looked twenty-five to her, she'd looked older than Bones in fact.

"Sorry!" Crater suddenly, and loudly interrupted. "I'm sorry, Captain, sit down. I seem to have forgotten my manners."

"Quite all right." Rose faked a smile as McCoy continued to insist Nancy looked twenty-five.

"I'm not joking, Rose. She hasn't aged a day. She doesn't have a grey hair on her head."

"She's got some grey, Bones," Rose corrected him. "Excuse me, Professor, she's a handsome woman, yes, but hardly twenty-five."

"You've seen my wife with the eyes of your past attachment, Doctor," Crater's nervousness was so obvious to Rose she was amazed that Bones hadn't picked up on it. "I'm sure when Nancy lets, when you see her again she'll be a believable age."

"Well at any rate she doesn't look a day over thirty," McCoy commented.

"Genuine affection. I'm glad you still feel it for her. She's a fine woman."

"Open your mouth," McCoy ordered while Rose watched with crossed arms, foot tapping slightly.

"Why, I thought the machine-" Crater began to object before Bones cut him off briskly, wielding his scanner dangerously.

"The machine is capable of almost anything but I'll still put my trust in a healthy set of tonsils. Now, open your mouth."

Just as Crater began to reluctantly obey, they heard a woman scream and dashed out, Rose drawing her phaser and taking the lead.

Outside, they found Nancy with a distraught expression, and Darnell lying on the ground, staring blankly towards the sky with a red plant-like substance covering his face. Rose's heart fell, recognizing the familiar sights of death even as she bent over him to check his pulse.

She sighed and shook her head, cursing herself for leaving him alone when she'd been suspicious of Nancy from the start. She straightened, turning to hook an eyebrow expectantly at her CMO while her best 'Captain in Control' mask covered her grief and guilt from her companions.

"Dead, Rose," he reported, knowing better than to try and comfort her in public. That would be saved for later, when the mission was over and she'd sent the alert to his family. "Strange. A red mottling all over his face."

"What happened?" Rose demanded, voice hard and cold. Her crew would have shuddered in fear.

"What do you suppose happened, Captain?" Crater sneered. "You beam down a crewman who doesn't know better than to eat an untested plant." He faltered at the captain's icy look. She turned to the woman, with Nancy still obviously upset.

"I've just lost a crewman, Mrs. Crater," she pressed, tone firm and unyielding. "I want to know what happened."

"Well, I, I," Nancy stammered. McCoy laid a comforting hand on her arm.

"Take it easy, Nancy," he urged her gently. "Just tell us what you know."

"I was just. I couldn't find Bob, and I was coming back. I crossed to your crewman. I wanted him to know I wasn't offended by the things he'd said back there," she explained. "You remember. Then I, I noticed he had a Borgia plant in his hand. Before I could say anything, he, he'd taken a bite from it. He fell, his face all twisted, and. Leonard, you're looking at me like you don't believe me."

"No, no, no, no," McCoy denied. "It's not that. It's something entirely different. Jim, I suppose we could complete these examinations later."

"We don't need an examination, you can see that," Crater objected immediately. "Perhaps you'd better take your man and-"

"We're well aware of our next duties, Professor," Rose snapped, her patience officially gone. "We'll complete your examinations tomorrow." She pulled out her comm, her jaw set tightly. "Transporter room."

"Transporter room, Captain," Leslie, today's transporter attendant, responded immediately, recognizing his captain's tightly leashed fury.

"Lock onto us," Rose barked. "Three beaming up."

"Locked onto you, Captain." They disappeared along with Darnell's body.

Just before they left, they heard Nancy speaking anxiously. "Salt. You did ask them about more salt tablets?"

Crater patted his wife's arm. "I'll take care of the provisioning, Nancy."

* * *

"I've a man dead, Bones," Rose snapped at her CMO. "I want an explanation to give his parents. Darnell was no cadet, he knew better than to simply eat an unknown plant on a foreign planet. _I_ knew better at _six_." She wasn't about to mention her suspicions regarding Nancy to Bones without proof.

McCoy sighed, studying the sample he held. "She called it a Borgia plant."

"Something new to me," Rose commented, her arms crossed. "Although botany isn't my specialty."

She had a degree in both Terran and Xeno-Agriculture though, although Bones had no idea why other than she was a bored genius at the time of earning it.

The comm buzzed and Spock spoke form it. "Bridge to Dispensary."

Rose pressed the button, bringing up her First's face on the screen. "Go ahead, Mister Spock."

"Borgia plant listed in library record tapes as carbon group three vegetation similar to Earth nightshade family," Spock reported in his usual monotone, though Rose could read his concern for her mental state in his eyes. "Alkaloid poison. Chemical structure common to class M planets. About the strange mottling on his facial skin surface. There is no reference to this symptom."

"Hmm," McCoy mused. "Well then, this man wasn't poisoned."

"Stand by, Mister Spock," Rose instructed. She turned to look at Bones, hoping to plant the seeds of suspicion and put him on his guard. "She said she saw him eat the plant."

Bones shook his head. "She's mistaken. I know alkaloid poison, what to look for. There's not a trace of it in his body."

"There were bits of the plant in his mouth," Rose continued to play devil's advocate, though she had complete faith in her CMO.

Said CMO scowled at her in irritation. "Rose, don't tell me my business. He could not have swallowed any. My instruments would have picked up any trace of it whatsoever."

"Then what kills a healthy man?"

"I'll tell you something else," the doctor shook a finger at her sternly. "This man shouldn't be dead. I can't find anything wrong with him. According to all the tests he should just get up and walk away from here. I don't know. I'll have the tests double-checked. My eyes may be tricking me. I swear, Rose, when I first saw her she looked just as I'd known her ten years ago. Granted, for a moment I may have been looking at her through a romantic haze."

"How your lost love affects your vision, Doctor, doesn't interest me," Rose snapped impatiently at him, though she was truthfully very suspicious. "I've lost a man. I want to know what killed him."

McCoy's back straightened as he recognized that it was his CO speaking, not his friend. He snapped off a salute. "Yes, ma'am."

* * *

 _Captain's log, Stardate 2259.45: In orbit around planet M-113. Crewman Thomas Darnell, member of the landing party, dead by violence. Cause unknown, but we are certain the cause of death was not poison. I am suspicious of Nancy Crater, as I sensed her use of telepathy immediately upon meeting her._

 _While Doctor McCoy claims he first saw a twenty-five-year-old woman, same as he last saw her, Darnell said she looked like a woman he once met on a pleasure planet, and I saw a woman older than McCoy himself. Crater too, was blatantly nervousness, and I believe he feared for our lives._

 _It may be mild telepathy supposed to make her appear more attractive for vanity's sake, and Darnell's death was unrelated, but I am sceptical of believing it. It doesn't fit with the woman that I saw and our dealings with telepaths have rarely been smooth._

* * *

Rose drummed her fingers on the desk, looking expectantly at her XO. "Well?" She asked. He nodded at her, saluting as he stood to attention in front of her in the ready room.

"No mistake in our record tapes," he confirmed what she was already certain of. "Borgia plant. Its sole deadly property is alkaloid poison."

"And Professor and Mrs. Crater?"

"Check out perfectly. They arrived here nearly five years ago. Visited by various vessels, made fairly heavy shipments out, of artefacts and reports. However, there has been a marked drop in shipments during the last year."

Rose looked to the side, exhaling heavily as she did so. "Nancy Crater is a telepath," she revealed. "I felt her using it on all three of us. I haven't told Bones. I'm sure that he would have mentioned if he knew she was psi-positive."

Spock cocked his head to the side. "You suspect she murdered Crewman Darnell," he stated. She looked back at him with a nod.

"Wouldn't you?"

"It is the most logical explanation, given the facts," Spock agreed thoughtfully. "However the question remains as to why she would do such a thing."

The comm buzzed and Bones' voice came out. "Dispensary to Captain."

"Kirk here."

"We found something," the CMO reported.

"What is it?"

Bones hesitated before saying lowly. "I'd rather not put it on the speaker."

Rose and Spock's eyebrows raised in mutual worried surprise at that.

* * *

"Fascinating," Spock murmured, studying the screen.

"So improbable we almost didn't check it," Bones agreed, his frown deepening.

"What?" Rose huffed impatiently, tapping a foot on the ground as she waited for answers.

"Sodium chloride," Spock clarified. "Not a trace of it."

"This man has no salt in his body at all," Bones continued.

Rose shifted, moving closer to them in bewilderment. "Can you explain that, Doctor?"

He shook his head in answer. "I can't, except that what we normally carry in our bodies is gone from his."

"He would have died almost instantly," Spock commented.

"How? There isn't a mark on his body."

"Except the red rings on his face," McCoy huffed.

"You called that skin mottling," Rose pointed out, a hint of accusation in her voice. McCoy looked down at the ground.

"I thought it was, ma'am," he maintained the professional air between them. "Another error on my part."

Rose's stern expression softened as she reached out and patted his arm. "I'm not counting them, Bones. Are you in the mood for an apology?"

"Oh, forget it," he waved her off. "I probably was mooning over her. I should have been thinking about my job."

Rose took a deep breath, glancing briefly at Spock. "Perhaps you were. Both Nancy and Crater went out of their way to mention one item they needed."

"Salt tablets." McCoy's eyes widened in realization and Rose nodded crisply, stepping away and glancing at her quiet First Officer.

"Mister Spock, outfit a landing party. We're beaming down with some questions."

* * *

Half-an-hour later, Rose was officially fed up with both Crater and with McCoy's love-blinded and uncharacteristic ridiculousness. She hated to acknowledge it, but part of her was hurt by how Bones seemed to just forget all about her as soon as a past girlfriend came into the picture. As if there was nothing between them at all. Of course, Bones was psi-null, so he didn't know about the _imzadi_ bond, but still. He must feel _something_ right?

She shook her head, focusing back on the problem at hand, that being the missing Craters.

"We're getting a reading on one person only, probably the Professor," Spock reported from his station. "He's circling as if searching for something."

Rose's lips thinned and she drummed her fingers unhappily on her chair's arms. "Expand the search radius."

"Yes, ma'am."

"The simple fact is unless there's something seriously wrong with the ship's equipment, there's only one person within a one-hundred-mile circle," Spock stated matter-of-factly a little while later.

"All right," Rose nodded. "We'll triangulate on him. We'll let Professor Crater explain what happened to his wife." She turned to Lt. Palmer. "Remember my instructions, Lieutenant. Keep a tight fix on us. If we let out a yell I want an armed party down there before the echo dies."

Palmer nodded back firmly, a determined light in her eyes. "Yes, Captain."

* * *

 _Captain's log, Stardate 2259.46: I am now certain that the violent death of my crewmen was caused by some strange life-form._

 _Captain's log, additional. Armed and able-bodied crewmen are not attacked and slaughtered this easily. Apparently, the killer can immobilize them as it approaches perhaps with some hypnotic or paralysing power. The answer lies with Professor Crater._

* * *

They found Professor Crater in a stack of old ruins. Rose held up her hands, try to project feelings of safety but finding his mind too panicked to ease. "Professor Crater," she cooed to him gently. He cut her off, a wild look in his eyes as he waved his blaster at her desperately.

"Go away! We don't want you here."

"We?" Rose questioned him, trying to inch closer to the feral man. "Where's your wife, Professor? We're concerned about her."

"I'm armed," Crater declared. "Go away."

"Where's your wife, Professor?" Rose pressed him firmly, unafraid of the weapon pointed at her chest.

"She's no concern of yours!" Crater insisted.

"We're worried about her safety," was Rose's calm reply. "Aren't you? Professor, you're a reasonable man, let me-"The comm. Beeped, interrupting her. She kept her gaze fixed on Crater as she held it up. "Kirk here."

"Casualty, Captain," Sulu reported stonily. Rose's heart clenched as she suppressed the urge to yell in frustration at the newest loss. "Barnhart was found dead on deck nine. Same symptoms."

"Spock cutting in, Captain," Spock added. "Something here, through the arches to your left."

"Stand by, Mister Sulu," Rose instructed. "Spock has something."

"Green."

"He beamed up to the ship with us," Rose refuted, shaking her head in denial.

"Or something did." Was Spock's dark reply.

She tensed, yanking her comm back out hastily. "Enterprise from Kirk."

"Bridge. Sulu."

Rose didn't waste time. "You have an intruder aboard. Could be masquerading as Crewman Green. General quarters, security condition three."

"GQ security three, ma'am," Sulu agreed. They listened as he repeated the order to the ship. "General quarters three. Intruder alert. GQ three. Intruder alert. General quarters three. Intruder alert. GQ three. Intruder alert."

"Reporting GQ three secure, Captain," Palmer piped in. "Do you require assistance there?"

"Crater knows the creature," Spock mused thoughtfully. "If we could take him alive."

"Negative, Lieutenant," Rose denied. "But keep locked in on us. Kirk out. Let's get him." She and Spock abruptly took cover to avoid the phaser fire.

"We don't want you here!" Crater yelled wildly. "We're happy alone! I'll kill to stay alone. You hear that, Kirk? Or you'll have to kill me. I don't care either way."

"Obviously, taking him alive is going to be difficult," Spock commented.

"Set your phaser on one quarter," Rose instructed him. "I'll leave mine on stun."

"Why risk your life for his?" Spock asked, curiosity and disapproval leaking slightly through his shields.

"He's not trying to kill us, he's trying to frighten us, and he's doing a pretty good job." They surrounded and captured Crater, learning the truth of what happened to Nancy, and what the thing on her ship was. Rose was full of dread for her brave crew as she ordered their beam-up, Spock keeping firm hold of Crater.

"There's a huge difference, Crater," she told the man coldly. "Buffalos didn't go around killing my crew. Make no mistake, I'll see you stand trial for conspiracy to murder my men because of this."

The light enveloped them and they rematerialized on board the Enterprise.

* * *

 _Captain's log, continuing. The Enterprise has been invaded by a creature capable of assuming any form, and with the capacity to paralyse and draw the life from any one of us._

* * *

"Negative, Captain," Palmer sighed, raking a hand over her blonde plait. "I've checked every face on this vessel. It was not a crewman I saw."

Rose frowned, turning to her Chief Yeoman. "Yeoman Rand, how long was this Green with you?"

"As long as he, it thought it could get to the salt on my tray, ma'am," she replied promptly, biting her lip worriedly.

"Mister Spock?" Rose turned to her First expectantly.

"Supplies of salt have been set out as bait at all decks and engineering levels, Captain," he answered. "However, no one or nothing has approached them as yet."

"Doctor McCoy?"

McCoy looked up from where he had been frowning at the table silently. "Yes?"

"Medical department report, Doctor," she said impatiently.

"Oh," he blinked. "Well, we could offer it salt without tricks. There's no reason for it to attack us."

"Your attitude is laudable, Doctor, but your reasoning is reckless."

Crater spoke up, eyeing McCoy carefully. "The creature is not dangerous when fed."

"No," McCoy agreed. "It's simply trying to survive by using its natural ability to take other forms."

"The way the chameleon uses its protective colouring, an ability retained no doubt from its primitive state, the way we have retained our incisor teeth," Crater went on, the Enterprise crew listening intently. "They were once fangs. Certain of our muscles were designed for chase. It uses its ability the way we would use our muscles and teeth if necessary, to stay alive."

"And like us, it's an intelligent animal," McCoy pointed out. "There's no need to hunt it down."

"A very interesting hypothesis, Doctor," Spock said, turning to the comm. "Briefing room."

Sulu's face appeared on the screen. "All the halls sealed off," he reported without waiting for a signal. "All weapons accounted for and locked away. Security four in effect on every level. Still no lead on intruder."

"Thank you, Lieutenant," Rose smiled at him. "Continue the search. Crater, we don't know who or what we're looking for. We need your help, and now."

"I demanded, I even begged that you get off my planet."

"Can you recognise this thing when you see it?" Rose pressed. She sighed and pressed a hand to her temple in exhaustion. Oddly, Bones didn't give her his usual look of worry at the blatant sigh of stress.

"Professor, I'll agree to forego charges up to this point but this creature's aboard my ship and I'll have it, or I'll have your skin, or both. Now where is it?"

"I loved Nancy very much," Crater answered wistfully, looking pained at the memory of his wife. "Few women like my Nancy. She lives in my dreams. She walks and sings in them."

"And it becomes Nancy for you," Rose murmured.

"Not because of tricks. It doesn't trick me. It needs love as much as it needs salt. When it killed Nancy, I almost destroyed it but, it isn't just a beast. It is intelligent and the last of its kind."

"You bleed too much, Crater," Rose told him sharply. "You're too pure and noble. Are you saving the last of its kind or has this become Crater's private heaven, here on this planet? This thing becomes wife, lover, best friend, wise man, fool, idol, slave. It isn't a bad life to have everyone in the universe at your beck and call, and you win all the arguments."

"You don't understand," Crater claimed bitterly.

"Have you learned to see this thing in whatever form it becomes?" Rose repeated. Crater lifted his chin and stared at her stubbornly.

"Yes," he nodded.

"Are you going to help us find it?" She continued, knowing the answer from his emotions. She briefly wondered why she felt so off around Bones, but was too distracted to pay him much attention. He was probably just upset about Nancy, and she knew he didn't like her reading his emotions without permission.

"Sorry, I can't," Crater answered unapologetically. Rose's lips thinned to nothing and she sneered at him in utter contempt.

"Recommend we use truth serum, Captain," Spock inserted himself into the conversation. A flicker of nervousness flashed over Crater's face.

"Doctor?"

"Well, I resist using it, but in this case the professor will give us the truth," McCoy finally said.

"Take him."

Spock stood. "I'll accompany you, Doctor."

"Oh, yes," McCoy blinked, looking startled. "Of course."

* * *

Rose burst into McCoy's room, her phaser raised.

"What the hell, Rose?" He demanded, shoving the creature that was once again pretending to be Nancy behind his back. "What are you thinking, attacking an innocent woman like this? Or at all for that matter?"

"Bones, get out of the way," Rose maintained her composure easily now that the end to the stressful mission was in sight. "That's not Nancy, it's the creature."

He stared at her, shaking his head in denial. "No it's not, it's Nancy. You could be the creature for all I know," he accused, an uncertain edge to his tone.

She looked him steadily in the eye. "Bones," she urged him softly. "Please."

She felt his anguish as he slowly stepped to the side, their eyes still locked. The creature shrieked loudly in rage, but before it could do anything, Rose fired three times. Each blast hit it directly in the chest, and it collapsed, smoking, on the ground. As its' chest stilled, it turned back to its' proper form, and Bones' lip shook slightly as he stared down at it. She quickly commed Giotto, alerting him that the threat was neutralized before turning her attention to Bones, who was staring blankly at the creature that had been impersonating his former love.

"I loved her back then," he admitted lowly, as Rose wrapped an arm around him to pull him his bed to sit down. "I don't anymore, but I genuinely used to love her."

"I know," Rose murmured. She hesitated, as an old Terran expression floated across her mind. _There's no time like the present._ She leaned over, and pressed her lips to his softly for a moment before pulling away. He stared at her in shock and dawning hope as she smiled slightly at him.

"You've got me now."


	13. Interlude 2: Dread-Giving News

**Disclaimer: I don't own Star Trek.**

 **This is a short interlude, that begins setting up the end of this fic. My first one to be completed! I have debated, and finally decided not to do a rewrite of Into Darkness. It's very overdone, if often very well, and I feel like it itself is just a mockery of the Wrath of Khan. So there will be no Into Darkness in this story. Sorry this chapter is so short.**

 **Interlude Two**

 **Dread-Giving News**

"Rose and Mini-Bones are dating," Roslyn announced to her husbands, as she sauntered into the room after ending her comm. She went straight to the couch and laid down, her head resting in Bones' lap.

"Quicker than us," Bones commented, stroking her hair absently as he set aside his medical journal. "What happened then?"

"Not really," Roslyn argued. "She and Mini-Bones have known each other for four years now. And she's known they were imzadis for a few weeks now too. As for what happened, I have four words for you: Nancy the Salt-Monster."

"Ah, poor Nancy," Bones sighed, a hint of regret crossing his features. He still regretted how she had died. Nancy had been too good to deserve her grim fate.

"Being imzadi doesn't necessarily require a romantic relationship," Spock pointed out, shifting Saavik, who was dozing in his arms. "Just as being t'hy'la does not."

"Makes it more likely though," Roslyn mused. "It's about time, but I feel sorry for mini-you. I hope they hurry up and add him to their group soon enough. I hate the thought of him being lonely."

"You're the kindest person I've ever met, darlin'," Bones told her affectionately.

She hummed and the conversation turned to discussing their day for a while. As per Roslyn's demands, they had finally hashed out years of buried issues, and it had done them all the world of good. They had almost gone back to the relationship they'd had at the start, before pride and hurt and grief had damaged it so badly.

"I got a request to come before a medical convention to discuss my 'new' cure for xenopolycythemia," Bones told his spouses. "It's in April, so I wouldn't miss your birthday, Rose. What d'you think?"

"An excellent chance," Spock said. "And you will be able to take advantage of the opportunity to submit patents for the other cures you plan to release."

Bones frowned slightly and Rose sighed softly. She reached up to cup his cheek. "Bones, you're better off patenting them. We don't need to keep the money we get, but think of the problems it would cause if they weren't secure. You know what a disaster it would be."

He grimaced and nodded. "I know, but that doesn't mean I like taking advantage. People who worked for years in our world, who are still working in this universe, to discover those cures will lose a lot because of me doing this."

"But so many more will survive illnesses that would otherwise have been fatal to them," Spock pointed out. "And those researchers will be able to look at the other illnesses that _don't_ have cures. This is for the best Leonard. It would practically be murder to keep these cures from the public, solely for our peace of mind."

The doctor, nodded again, but any reply he planned to make was cut off by Roslyn's comm. The Admiral sat up, a surprised look on her face as she lifted the comm to her ear. Thankfully, as she was too casually dressed for the part-Betazoid to feel comfortable with anyone save her family seeing her, it was a voice only comm unit.

"Admiral Samuels. Is there a problem?" She asked briskly, rising in preparation to rush around getting changed.

"Admiral, this is Stacey Giles," the woman answered. "You hired me to look for someone for you a few months ago."

Roslyn tensed and her husbands did so as well, sensing her mixture of hope, vengeance, anger and determination.

"Yes, I remember," Roslyn replied tightly. She dug her clenched fist into her leg as she listened. "Have you found him?"

"I have," Stacey confirmed. "It's as you predicted, ma'am. He's going by the name of Anton Karidian. He leads a Shakespearean acting group, and has one daughter, twelve-year-old Lenore. I have a file of information on them that I am preparing to send to you."

"Excellent, that's truly excellent, Miss Giles," Roslyn told the woman, her voice slightly ragged. "I'll send you a bonus. Where are they right now?"

"They're currently preforming at Alpha Five, a small colony in the outskirts of the Alpha Quadrant. I don't need a onus ma'am, but thank you very much anyway. Is there anything else I can do for you?"

"Not at the moment, save for sending that file," Roslyn replied. "But I'll certainly keep you in mind for any other investigating that I require. Thank you, Miss Giles. You have no idea how much this means to me."

They said their goodbyes, Stacey promising to send the file straight away, and she turned to her husbands. They both had solemn looks on their faces. Even now, so many years after Tarsus IV, Rose was still badly affected by the tragedy, physically, not just emotionally. But Kodos' death in their own universe had never given her peace. It was too late in Rose's opinion, with her fellow Nine dead, and the fact that he spent decades living in relative comfort and prosperity had kept her from making peace with it. Neither of them knew what she would do now.

She smiled at them, but there was a look in her that worried them both.

"Excuse me, loves," she said calmly. "I've some things to arrange." As their wife left the room, the two husbands exchanged grim looks.

"This isn't gonna be good, Spock," Bones predicted grimly. "Not for her, or for her younger version. Mentions of Tarsus always wrecks her to pieces."

"Then we shall have to ensure that we glue the remains back together again," was Spock's quiet reply. His heart was heavy in his side as he worried over what was about to happen. As if sensing her parents' distress, Saavik woke and started to wail her displeasure to the world and nothing they did could calm her distress.


	14. Manic Monday

**Disclaimer: I don't own Star Trek.**

 **Chapter Twelve**

**It's Just Another Manic Monday**

 _Captain's Log. 2259.56: Our position, orbiting Psi 2000, an ancient world, now a frozen wasteland, about to rip apart in its death throes. Our mission, pick up a scientific party below, observe the disintegration of the planet. I am frankly concerned about the psychological effects that seeing a planet break apart will have on the crew given the events of last year._

* * *

Rose drummed her fingers on her as she waited for Spock and Turmoleon to report. Her shoulders relaxed slightly when Spock finally spoke to her.

"Kirk, affirmative," she answered immediately.

"All station personnel are dead," Spock bluntly announced. Rose heard Lt. Lisa Baldavin, the on-duty comm officer, gasp quietly in the background, but she herself gave no outward reaction to the unexpected news.

"What caused it?"

"Unknown, Captain. I have never seen something like this before."

Rose frowned at Spock's answer. If her CSO didn't have a clue what was going on, it didn't bode well at all. She cursed mentally. An already stressful mission had just gotten significantly worse.

"Return and report to sickbay for examination immediately," she ordered.

"Yes Captain."

* * *

 _Captain's Log: Stardate 2259.56: The science party we were to have picked up has been found dead. Life support systems had been turned off. Station personnel, frozen to death. Conditions highly unusual. Meanwhile, we remain in orbit to complete our mission, close scientific measurement of the break-up of this planet._

* * *

"You're fine, Joe," Bones was saying as Rose entered the medbay. "Up and out of here. Spock? Your pulse is two hundred and forty-two, your blood pressure is practically non-existent, assuming you call that green stuff in your veins blood."

"The readings are perfectly normal for me, Doctor, thank you, and as for my anatomy being different from yours, I am delighted. Captain."

"Boys," Rose warned. "You know my opinion on that sort of talk." Of course, she knew it was only their version of banter, but as two of her highest ranking officers, she needed them to set an example. The two nodded, chastised.

"How are they?"

"They're fine, Rose," Bones assured her. As per their rules, no hint of their personal relationship entered their on-duty interactions.

"Terrible, Captain," Tormoleon declared, a look of horrified anguish in his eyes. His emotions were completely off. Rose made a note to refer him to Dehner for a psych eval. "It was terrible. They were just sitting, like they didn't care. Whatever was happening, they didn't care. I keep wondering-"

"You keep wondering if man was meant to be out here," Rose interrupted, skillfully interpreting his emotions as she reached out to pat him on the shoulder gently. "You keep wondering, but if we weren't, we wouldn't have discovered warp. Go get some rest Joe. Send a message to your family, spend some time with your friends. You'll feel better after a rest."

Tormoleon left, repeating "Six dead. Six people dead," under his breath as he went.

Rose sent him a concerned look, but she was too busy to focus on him at that moment. She sent a quick email to Dehner ordering her to speak to the Lieutenant before turning to Spock.

"Well Spock? Any clue what happened down there?"

"I wish I could say, Captain," Spock replied while shaking his head. "The circumstances were quite bizarre, however our record tapes may show us something."

Rose nodded briskly. "Right then. Set up those tapes, Mister Spock. We'll see if the answers are there." She quickly kissed Bones goodbye before following her First out of the infirmary.

* * *

"Next tape, please," Spock requested.

"Spectro-analysis tape, sir," Rand handed it to him.

"Thank you," he told her, Rose's 'social training' showing itself. Despite the situation, she smiled slightly at him in reward. Briefly, Rose wondered how to approach the topic of Spock joining their relationship with Bones, before firmly shaking the thought away. Crisis situations, as this most definitely was going to be, were not the place for romance related thoughts.

"It's almost as though they were irrational, drugged," Rose mused aloud, frowning at the image on-screen. "An engineer sitting there, apparently oblivious to everything. A woman strangled. A crewman with a phaser pistol in his hand."

"He'd used the computer room as if it were an amusement gallery," Spock added.

"And a fully clothed man frozen to death in a shower," Rose finished. "If the image wasn't so ugly, it would be laughable. Not even a theory, gentlemen?"

"Definitely not drugs or intoxication," McCoy ruled. "The bio-analysis on the tapes prove that conclusively."

"It could be some form of space madness we've never heard of, but it would have to be caused by _something_. Our spectro-readings showed no contamination, no unusual elements present," Spock was blatantly, at least to Rose it was blatant, unhappy at the lack of answers.

"Or at least none your tricorders could register," Scotty pointed out.

"Instruments register only those things they're designed to register," the Vulcan acknowledged. "Space still contains infinite unknowns."

"Earth Science needs the closest possible measurement of the breakup of this planet," Rose stated grimly. "To do this, we need the Enterprise in a critically tight orbit. Question. Could what happened down there to those people create _any_ unusual danger to my ship or the crew?"

The men exchanged glances before Spock answered. Under the table, McCoy gripped Rose's hand to reassure the worried captain.

"We will need top efficiency, Captain. It'll be a tricky orbit. When the planet begins to go, there may be drastic changes in gravity, mass, magnetic field."

"The purpose of a briefing, gentlemen, is to get me answers based on your abilities and experience," Rose's voice was sharp and she smacked the table as she spoke. "In a critical orbit, there's no time for surprise."

"Unless you people on the Bridge start taking showers with your clothes on, my engines can pull us out of anything," Scotty declared confidently. "We'll be warping out of orbit within a half second of getting your command."

The comm activated, Lt. Lisa's voice coming from the speakers. "Bridge to Captain."

"Kirk here."

"Scanners report sudden four degree shift in planet magnetic field. A change in mass also, ma'am."

"It's beginning," Spock stated. "Unusually rapid shifts."

"On our way, Lieutenant. I'll hold you to that half second, Scotty."

* * *

"Relative gravity increasing, ma'am."

"Compensate, Mister Chekov."

"Yes, ma'am."

"Magnetic field continuing to shift, ma'am," Sulu reported calmly. "Planet continuing to shrink in mass."

"Mister Spock?"

"All scanning stations manned, all recorders functioning, Captain."

"Orbit steady now, ma'am," Chekov announced, making Rose relax a fraction.

"Obviously, this planet is condensing more rapidly than expected," Spock commented. "A valuable study. We may be seeing Earth's distant future. Before its sun went dark, this planet was remarkably similar to yours."

"Helm answering nicely, Captain," Sulu chimed in.

"Good," Rose replied in a more curt tone than was typical for her. Part of her was filled with thoughts of Tormoleon, debating what she could have done to prevent his actions in the canteen. She should have sent him straight to Dehner, instead of just ordering an eval.

"Communications are good, Captain," Lt. Lisa added. Rose nodded distractedly, making an absent note to have someone assigned specifically to Alpha Shift for communications. It was taking up far too much time, choosing a different person every month. She headed over to whisper to Spock.

"Tormoleon's record?"

"Psychiatric file, personality quotients," he explained.

"Was he trying to kill himself?"

"It's doubtful he meant to. He was confused, self-tortured."

Rose frowned unhappily at that. "Doesn't sound like the man I know."

"His capacity for self-doubt has always been rather high. What puzzles me is what brought it to the surface with so much force."

Rose sighed, uncrossing her arms to pat down her side-braid. "I should have sent him straight to Dehner," she repeated her earlier thoughts. "I knew he was feeling depressed. I just didn't think that he would escalate so abruptly. He was fine before the mission."

"Indeed, he was," Spock agreed. "You had no reason to assume he would suddenly become so unstable. Do not blame yourself. You are not responsible."

"If I didn't blame myself, I wouldn't consider myself fit for command," Rose answered swiftly. "As captain, I'm responsible for everyone on board. I should've been able to do something to help him." The ship suddenly jerked slightly, and Rose forced herself to put thoughts of Tormoleon to the back of her mind. It was callous, but she had to keep the other members of her crew safe.

"What happened?" She demanded, hurrying to the helm.

"Relative gravity increase, ma'am," Sulu explained. "Like the planet reached out and yanked at us."

"Compensate," Rose snapped, adjusting Chekov's controls.

"Orbit steady now, ma'am. Perhaps I am a leetle nervous."

"There's no reason for it," Rose replied, patting his shirt-covered shoulder reassuringly. "You're the best navigator in the fleet."

The comm activated as she returned to her seat. "This is McCoy. Captain Kirk to Sickbay."

Rose stood with a silent sigh. Never a dull moment on the Enterprise. "Lieutenant, monitor communications. Tell McCoy I'll be there when I can."

The older woman nodded briskly. "Yes, ma'am."

"Planet breakup is imminent, Captain," Spock warned. "Shrinking in size at an increasing rate. As the planet continues to shrink in size, its surface moves away from us."

"Forcing us to spiral down to maintain the same distance from it," Rose finished.

"Exactly. We must be prepared to respond instantly to any sudden change."

"Engine room from Bridge."

"Scott here, Captain."

"Tie into the helm, Scotty," Rose ordered. "If we need to call for power, we'll want it fast."

"No problem, ma'am," the Scotsman assured her confidently. "You'll have it."

"Rate of compaction seems constant," Spock commented.

Rose nodded, flashing him her trademarked heart-stopping smile. "Then I'll go see what the good doctor wants. Keep me informed of any change, Mister Spock."

"Acknowledged."

* * *

Rose had just left sickbay after discussing Tormoleon's death with Bones when Spock commed to tell her about Sulu and Chekov going rogue. She groaned in dismay.

"You mean that both my best helmsman and navigator are out of commission, under an unknown influence, _now_ of all times?"

"Yes Captain," Spock admitted reluctantly. She pressed the heels of her palms to her eyes, thankful that no one was around so she could reveal her distress.

"I'll be there in a moment."

She arrived just in time to see Lieutenant Brent relieve Lt. Lisa at the helm and quickly hurried to her First's side.

"What were their symptoms?"

"Nonviolent at this stage," Spock reported. "Slightly disoriented. Chekov seemed rather pleased with himself, as if he were-"

"Irrational, or drugged," Rose cut him off, echoing her earlier words. Spock nodded crisply to her.

"Precisely."

"Patch me through to Security, Lieutenant Lisa," Rose ordered. The brunette nodded pushing various buttons.

"Yes, ma'am. You're through."

"Both Sulu and Chekov, locate and confine. I want every crewman who comes in contact with them medically checked."

"Ma'am, level two, corridor three reports a disturbance. Mister Sulu chasing crewmen with a, a _sword_."

Rose blinked in mild shock but then reconsidered her surprise. Sulu loved fencing after all. "Put Security on it."

"Fascinating," Spock mused. "A pattern is developing. First, Tormoleon. Hidden personality traits being forced to the surface. Then Chekov, who fancies himself a Russian revolutionary from the early 20th century, and now Sulu, who is at heart a swashbuckler out of your 18th century."

Rose's jaw tightened. In her opinion, the pattern was a disaster, not fascinating. "Present condition of Psi 2000."

Spock turned to check his scanner. "Gravity pull increasing. We've shifted to two percent and should stabilise our position."

"Helmsman, stabilise position," Rose snapped, her stress leaking into her tone.

"Helm is not answering to control," Brent replied, his own tone full of worry as he fought with his station.

"Warp us out of here," Rose demanded, panic beginning to rise. That only made her more uneasy, because Rose had the same training in emotional control that all empaths and telepaths were required to get. It should take more than this to rile her. Was she infected?

"No response from engines, ma'am."

"Impulse power then," Rose suggested in frustration. "Blast us out of this orbit."

"Impulse engines also dead, ma'am."

"Engine room, we need power!" Spock called into the comm. There was no reply.

"Mister Scott, acknowledge," Rose tried to contact Scotty herself. "Our controls are dead. Take her."

The turbolift door slid open, revealing Sulu. His chest was bare and he was brandishing a sword in one hand.

"Richelieu, at last!" he exclaimed, waving the sword at Spock. Spock blinked, one of the most obvious displays of bewilderment that Rose had ever seen from her Vulcan friend.

"Sulu, put that thing away," Rose ordered, trying to carefully push the point away from Spock.

"For honour, Queen, and France!" Sulu cried as he lunged at Spock. She gripped his arm, pulling him back.

"Sulu!" She snapped.

"Ah." His eyes lit up as he finally seemed to register Rose's presence.

"Sulu, give me that," she insisted, trying to pull the weapon away.

"I'll protect you, fair maiden," Sulu declared, tugging her behind him. Rose was instantly infuriated at the archaic actions of her helmsman. She yanked herself out of his grip.

"Like hell! I don't need anyone's protection!"

"Foul Richelieu." before Sulu could continue his rant, Rose grabbed him, making him falter in surprise. Spock took advantage of the chaos to knock the crazed man out with a neck-pinch.

"You need to teach me that sometime," Rose commented, breathing heavily as they gave Sulu's unconscious body to the guards beside them.

"Take D'Artagan here to Sickbay," Spock ordered them as Rose turned back to the comm to continue working on contacting Engineering.

"Scotty, we need power. Engine room, acknowledge!"

The voice that answered was most definitely not Scotty, but Rose could hardly believe that it was him. "You rang, ma'am?"

"Who's this?"

"Zis is Captain Chekov, Pavel Andrevich, of ze USS Enterprise. And vho is zis?"

"This is Captain Kirk," Rose snapped furiously, outraged at the mutiny. Drugged or not, no one got away with trying to steal Rose's position. "Of the USS Enterprise! Get out of the engine room, navigator. Where's Scotty?"

"I hawe reliewed Meester Scott of his duties. Now, attention, cooks. Zis is your captain speaking. I vould like double portions of zakuski for ze entire crev for dinner zis evening."

"Clear that tube, will you?" Rose demanded, pressing the button harshly to try and sever the link. "And what the hell is zakuski?"

"Yes, ma'am," Lt. Lisa replied quickly, wary of aggravating her CO's obvious fury.

"Zakuski is a traditional Russian dish made up of a selection of Russian hors d'oeuvres," Spock added helpfully.

Rose shot him a withering look. "I don't care what it is," she hissed. "Just make him stop singing that damn song!" Indeed, Chekov had begun to sing the Russian anthem, and his voice was, frankly, horrendous. Lisa bent over her station, trying to turn Chekov's comm off as Spock turned to check his scanner.

"Captain. At our present rate of descent, we have less than twenty minutes before we enter planet atmosphere," Spock warned.

"And burn up," Rose finished his sentence. "I know, Mister Spock." Chekov continued singing and Rose groaned in dismay at the headache-inducing noise.

* * *

"How did Chekov get in there?" Rose asked as soon as she arrived at the corridor just outside Engineering.

"He ran in, said you wanted us on the Bridge," Scotty explained as he tapped at the wall, searching for the best point of entry.

"He's cut off both helm and power," she informed her CEO.

"And he shut the door behind us and locked off the mechanism," Scotty finished his story. "Gotta admit the lad's got a clever head on his shoulders." Rose shot him an irritated look.

"Given the present circumstances," she gritted out. "That's _not_ a good thing. Can't you get to the auxiliary?"

Scotty shook his head, frowning heavily. "I can't. He's hooked everything through the main panel in there. I need to get to my office and pull the plans for this bulkhead. The only way to get that door open is to cut through these wall circuits here." He tapped the wall and Rose nodded quickly as Chekov restarted the damn anthem again.

"Do it!" She called over her shoulder, heading back to the turbolift.

"Cut him _off_ ," Rose hissed, gripping her temples desperately.

"I can't, ma'am," Lisa told her apologetically. "There's no way to do it."

Chekov cheerfully announced a dance that evening and Rose's scowl darkened, her left hand tightening on her armrest.

"No way, Captain," Spock agreed. "He controls the main power panels. He can override any channel from down there. Seventeen minutes left, ma'am," he added as the ship jolted severely.

"Sickbay to Bridge," McCoy called over the comm. Rose turned to look at Lisa.

"Can you tie me in to the Sickbay?"

"I'm getting you, Rose," McCoy called. "Look, can you keep this beast level? I've got Sulu tranquillized and we're running tests on him. So far there's nothing unusual in his bloodstream. Body functions seem normal."

"Chekov's the immediate problem, Doctor," Rose replied tightly. "Is there any way, anything you can do to snap him out of it?"

"Negative," Bones denied making Rose's scowl deepen. "Not until I can get a little farther on these tests."

"Zis is Captain Chekov. Crew, I hawe some additional orders."

"I have a cell in the brig with your name on it," Rose muttered lowly. She listened incredulously to his demand for the women on board to wear skirts that only just covered their bums, and to have their hair loosely framing their faces. "Oh, I'm gonna kill him."

"I believe that you would later regret taking that course of action, Captain," Spock commented dryly.

"But it'd feel fantastic in the heat of the moment," she retorted, rising to her feet, as she checked her watch. "We're running out of time."

"And now," Chekov cheerfully declared. "I shall sing ze national anthem of ze great Mozer Russia, vun more time!"

"Please not again," Rose whimpered in genuine horror as Chekov's voice again began to screech out of the inter-ship comm.

"Sixteen minutes left, Captain," Spock reported. "We've stabilised, but we're still spiralling down."

"Emergency signal, Captain," Lisa added. "Both decks four and five. Fights and disorders."

"Get me Sickbay," Rose instructed.

"I have no intercom for Sickbay. He keeps switching channels on me."

Rose huffed in frustration, patting down her hair in case the stress had made it come undone. "See what you can do to help Doctor McCoy. Better check Scotty first. Make him move faster. He's got to get through that bulkhead."

* * *

"Scotty, we haven't got much time left." Rose's voice was full of strain as she paced in front of the engineering door. Scotty didn't turn away from his inspection of the engines.

"Bridge to Captain," Lisa called over the comm. Rose swiftly yanked it out and held it to her mouth.

"Kirk here."

"Entering planet's outer atmosphere, ma'am," Lisa reported with stony efficiency.

"Captain!" Scotty suddenly yelled, voice frantic with urgency. Rose spun around.

"What is it?"

"He's turned the engines off. Completely cold. It will take thirty minutes to regenerate them."

"Ship's outer skin is beginning to heat, Captain," Lisa warned. "Orbit plot shows we have eight minutes left."

"Scotty!"

"I can't change the laws of physics. I've got to have thirty minutes. Maybe twenty-two, twenty-three minutes."

"Scotty, we've got _six_ ," Rose rebutted him, wearing her most serious expression as she spoke.

"Captain, you _can't_ mix matter and antimatter cold," Scotty insisted. "We'd go up in the biggest explosion since-"

"We can balance our engines into a controlled implosion," Rose countered, cutting him off.

"That's only a theory," Scotty protested. "It's never been done."

Rose's jaw clenched determinedly. "Bridge, have you found Spock yet?"

"If you wanted to chance odds of ten thousand to one, _maybe_ , assuming we had a row of computers working weeks on the right formula," Scotty continued ramble, oblivious to Rose's plan.

"Mister Spock is not on the Bridge, Captain," Lisa reported. Rose's eyebrows pulled together as she thought as quick as she could.

* * *

Scotty was giving orders over the comm when Rose rushed into the briefing where she had finally found Spock. He was obviously affected by the virus, sobbing softly into his hands. "Where have you been? What happened?"

"My mother," Spock moaned. "I could never tell her I loved her."

"We've got four minutes, maybe five," Rose told him, fear for her ship and crew beginning to overwhelm her.

"An Earth woman, living in a culture where love, emotion, is bad taste," Spock continued to ramble. Frustration started to rise in Rose's chest. Why couldn't Spock focus on the important thing? Saving Rose's beautiful ship from destruction.

"We've got to risk a full-power start," Rose insisted. She grabbed Spock's shoulders desperately. "The engines were shut off. No time to regenerate them. Do you hear me? We've got to risk a full-power start!"

"I respected my father, our customs. I was ashamed of my Earth blood."

Beginning to reach hysteria, an unfamiliar state for Kirk, she slapped him sharply, trying to snap him back to reality. It didn't work.

"Rose, when I feel friendship for you, I'm ashamed."

Rose continued to slap him as she spoke. She knew with grim certainty that she too was affected by the virus. "You've got to hear me! We need a formula. We've got to risk implosion!"

"It's never been done!" Spock yelled back finally. "Understand, Rose. I've spent a whole lifetime learning to hide my feelings." He finally hit her back and Rose was almost relieved by it. At least he was starting to snap out of it.

"We've got to risk implosion," she insisted adamantly. "It's our only chance."

"It's never been done," he denied, shaking his head.

"Don't tell me that again, Science Officer!" she ordered him sharply. "It's a theory. It's possible. We may go up into the biggest ball of fire since the last sun in these parts exploded, but we've got to take that one in ten thousand chance!"

Lisa came over the comm. "Bridge to Captain. Engineering asked, did you find-"

"Yes, I found Spock! I'm talking to Spock, do you understand?"

"Yes, ma'am. Three and a half minutes left, Captain."

Rose staggered away from her XO, leaning against the wall. "I've got it, the disease. Love. You're better off without it, and I'm better off without mine. This vessel, I give, she takes. She won't permit me my life. I've got to live hers."

"Rose," Spock frowned at her.

"This ship is my life," she sighed. "I'd kill myself if they took her away from me. I'll die and be buried on my girl Spock. I swear it to the Four Deities."

"Rose, there is an intermix formula," Spock told her. Rose ignored him, stroking her ship as tenderly as she stroked Bones' cheek.

"It's never been tested," Spock continued. "It's a theoretical relationship between time and antimatter." Rose hummed absently as Scotty entered, an urgent look on his face.

"Captain."

Rose groaned, staggering away from the wall. "Scotty, help," she croaked.

"Stand by to intermix," Spock ordered, now fully in control. "I'll call the formulae in from the Bridge."

"Entering upper stratosphere, Captain," Lisa warned. "Skin temperature now twenty-one hundred and seventy degrees."

"I've got to hang on," Rose gasped. "Tell them. Clear the corridors, the turbo lift. Hurry." The two nodded and rushed out, while Rose staggered back to the wall. She stroked the wall tenderly again. "Never lose you," she crooned unsteadily to it. "Never."

* * *

McCoy jabbed her with a hypo as she exited the turbolift. She grimaced at him, making her way to her chair.

"Engine room. We're set. Hyperbolic course."

"Direction, ma'am?" Lt. Brent asked briskly, pushing various controls. Rose waved her hand distantly, a distracted look on her face.

"Direction. Direction. It doesn't matter. The way we came."

"Course laid in, ma'am," Sulu reported.

"Engage."

"Are you all right, Rose?" Spock inquired softly. She gave a him a strained nod.

"Are you?" He nodded back, stepping back a bit.

"We found a cure," Bones reminded them, gripping Rose's shoulder. She reached up to clutch his fingers gently. "We're over that part of it."

"Obviously, we were successful," Spock drawled condescendingly. "The engines imploded."

"Captain, my velocity gauge is off the scale," Sulu called. Rose stiffened, releasing Bones' hand and sitting forward slightly.

"Engine power went off the scale as well," Spock added. "We're now travelling faster than is possible for normal space."

"Checked elapsed time, Sulu," Rose ordered.

"My chronometer's running backwards, ma'am," Sulu answered apologetically.

"Time warp," Rose breathed with wide eyes. "We're going backward in time. Helm, begin reversing power. Slowly."

"Helm answering, ma'am. Power reversing."

"We're back to normal time, Captain," Spock announced.

Rose sighed in relief, settling back into her chair and flashing Bones a tired smile of satisfaction. "Engines ahead. Warp one."

"Warp one, ma'am," Sulu confirmed.

Rose turned to her SO. "Spock."

"Yes, ma'am."

"The time warp. What did it do to us?"

"We've regressed in time exactly seventy-one hours," Spock explained. "It is now three days ago, Captain. We have three days to live over again."

"Not those last three days," Rose immediately declared, casting a warning look over the bridge, as if anyone would attempt to repeat the stressful events of the past few days.

"This does open some intriguing prospects, Captain," Spock pointed out. "Since the formula worked, we can go back in time, to any planet, any era."

Vulcan went unspoken of and Rose bit lightly at her lip.

"We may risk it someday, Mister Spock," she murmured, turning away. "Resume course to our next destination, Mister Sulu."

"Course laid in, ma'am."

"Steady as she goes."

* * *

It wasn't until the middle of the next day that Rose got sit down in her room and get to work on sorting out her backlog of personal emails. There were several from Sam that she watched with a fond smile, one from Joanna, eagerly chatting about her new (Earth based) school in Georgia, one from the lawyer she and Bones were working with to gain custody of Jo, one from her mother that she deleted without checking, and finally, one from Roslyn.

She clicked it open, revealing her elegant older counterpart. If Rose looked half as good as Roslyn did at that age, she could die a happy woman.

 _"Rose, I hope you're doing well. My greetings to Mini-Bones and Mini-Spock. Congratulations on becoming a couple with Mini-Bones, though of course, I expected it would happen sooner or later._

 _I have an invitation/request for you and the crew of the Enterprise. I've organized for a Shakespearean acting troupe, led by a man named Anton Karidian, to come and perform in June for a week. There'll be a bunch of conferences and such going on at the same time, and several of the guest list will be familiar to you I suspect. Thomas Leighton and his wife for example will there to discuss colony fertilization procedures._

 _Considering the timing of the event, I thought you might want to take advantage to meet up with them in person instead of over comms for once, and of course the conferences should be interesting too. By the way, you recall I was working on a project? I'm pleased to say that it's nearly complete. I could do with your help in tying up the last bit of it though. Send your reply soon so I can make arrangements. I would really appreciate your attendance._

 _Best wishes,_

 _Roslyn._

Well, with a tease like that, how could Rose refuse?


	15. The Monster Under the Bed

**Disclaimer: I don't own Starbursts. I'm back with a new computer! Hallelujah! (is that how it's spelt?) As this is an original chapter, it will be shorter than an episode rewrite. R &R!**

 **BTW: Prime Rose=Roslyn Samuels**

 **Prime Spock=Selek**

 **Prime Bones=Leon Jones**

 **Chapter Thirteen**

 **The Monster Under the Bed Returns**

 _Captain's Log: Stardate 2259.166_

 _We have just docked at Ap-Lau for the conference Roslyn invited me to. I have given shore leave to everyone save for a skeleton crew. Spock and Bones will be beaming down with the first two parties, and me with the last. Roslyn said she'd be waiting to speak with me, so I told my guys to head to their first lectures._

 _Unfortunately Lt. Uhura is causing trouble again. She continuously harasses Spock, then loses her temper over him pushing her away. With his touch telepathy, her attempts to touch him are seriously near to assault. If this continues, I'm gonna logic Spock into pressing charges. Not even her Admiral uncle can get her out of trouble if she's officially court-martialed. Despite her recent behavior, she is still getting to attend the xenolinguistics conference, much to my displeasure. How I loathe politics with every fiber of my being._

 _On the bright side, I won't just be seeing Roslyn and her guys, I'll be seeing Sam, Aurie, Tom and his fiancée Martha, Emma and Dean. Although, part of me feels kind of uneasy. I scanned the guest list and saw all the Tarsus Nine were on it. Me obviously, Kevin as part of a school trip, Tom for the agricultural science section, Emma as a reporter, Dean is with her, Sha're for the micro-biology section. Aiger is supporting her and then Melanie and Michael are part of the security detail._

 _It's probably just my paranoia. The identities of the Nine are sealed. Only we and a few Admirals know anything about it. It's just a coincidence. This is a big conference, and we all have good reasons to be here. It's just a coincidence, that's it._

* * *

"Hey Rose!" Roslyn stepped forward from her position among the welcoming committee to embrace her younger duplicate. "How are you?"

"Good, yourself?"

"Same old, same old," Roslyn replied lightly. Something in her coal coloured eyes looked off though, and Rose felt the unease she'd been wrestling with since seeing all the Tarsus Nine's names in the same list increase.

"Come on," Roslyn continued brightly. "I've to introduce you to Saavik. Vulcan babies are adorable, I mean the ears! They're to die for, honestly. And she's such a sweet, precocious little girl. You're going to love her, I guarantee it."

"I bet," Rose agreed, giving a warm smile. She loved children, always had. She was good with them as well. Briefly, she wondered if T'Amara and Samek, her counterpart's twin children, would be born in this timeline.

Glancing at Roslyn, she frowned at the dark look that was lurking in her elder's eyes. Roslyn's shields were better than the Enterprise's, but Rose had long since learned to read the subtle hints of emotion in people's expressions. Something was bothering Roslyn deeply. Her thoughts went to Roslyn's cryptic mention of her 'project' again. She didn't know what the project was, but the guest list continued to make alarm bells sound in her mind.

"Roslyn-"

"Not yet," she whispered softly before raising her voice slightly. "Here we are." She gestured at the small house in front of them

he whispered softly before raising her voice slightly. "Here we are." She gestured at the small house in front of them. It was Vulcan-styled, but smaller than Rose would've expected considering it housed T'Pau, Sarek, Amanda, Roslyn, Leon and Selek. Three Council Elders, one of the Ambassadors from Earth and two Admirals. And Saavik of course.

She followed her into the pointy bronze structure, sighing in relief at the respite from the baking hot Ap-Lau sun. Her eyes scanned the foyer. The room was very Vulcan, sparse and functional. The exact opposite of the Betazoid's penchant of filling their homes with various knick-knacks. The two half-Betazoids hurried through the room, a determined look in Roslyn's eye.

"There's a show being performed tonight by the Karidian Entertainment Trope," Roslyn told her casually as they made their way across the open-air courtyard. "It's their opening night, and they'll be here for the entire week. Hamlet is the first show, starts at eight. I have tickets for the six of us."

Rose blinked in bemusement, nodding hesitantly. "Sure," she agreed slowly. "I like Shakespeare."

"I know," Roslyn smirked as they entered the dimension travelers' section of the house.

Selek was there tapping away at his PADD while an adorable green-skinned baby sat on a multi-coloured rug playing some sort of puzzle game with a crinkle of concentration in her dark eyebrow. Rose felt her frown instantly smooth into a smile.

"How cute is she?" Rose cooed, instantly in love with the young Vulcan child.

"The cutest," Roslyn grinned back as Selek stood, greeting them with a ta'al.

"Hello Rose," he smiled fondly at her, the antithesis of a Vulcan. "How are you?"

"I'm good," she answered.

Roslyn leaned down and picked up Saavik, balancing her neatly on her hip. The baby huffed indignantly and squatted her adoptive mother's shoulder.

"Saavik-kam, meet your Aunt Rose," Roslyn introduced the two. Rose smiled as she accepted the baby.

"So, Hamlet," Roslyn continued a few minutes later, once Rose was finished cooing over the precocious child. "You're up for it?" She ignored the look Selek sent her, along with his feelings of disapproval along their bond.

Rose barely looked toward the older woman, too intent on the infant in her arms, but she nodded. "Sure, but I dunno about the guys. You'll have to ask them."

"I'll go do that now then," Roslyn replied after checking her watch quickly. "It's about time for the lunch breaks anyway. Can I borrow your comm?"

Rose handed it to her easily, not noticing the grim looks in both of her friends' expressions. Despite her dislike of her manipulation however, Roslyn was determined not to prejudice her younger counterpart to the situation. She had to go in blind, otherwise she would make herself believe or disbelieve in Kodos' being alive.

No matter what though, Roslyn silently swore to herself. None of the Nine were going to die this time. Tom isn't going to die this time. Lenore Karidian wasn't going to get the chance to murder seven people and destroy the fragile mental peace built by Rose and Kevin. Not this time. Roslyn would make sure of it.

* * *

"Rose?" A familiar, gruff voice called from behind her. "Is that you?" She spun and gave a startled smile.

"Tom!" She exclaimed, hurrying over to give him a hug, her friends trailing after her. "I didn't expect to see you here." She'd known he was on the planet, but Tom had always found Shakespeare archaic and boring. Rose would acknowledge that it was archaic, but not boring.

"Well I couldn't miss the conference," Tom shrugged gruffly. "And Martha wanted to see the show, so."

"Where is Martha?"

"Freshening her make-up," Tom huffed. "What is with women and make-up, dare I ask?"

"Well you risk me answering," Rose teased lightly.

"Don't," Tom ordered flatly. He looked over her shoulder as Bones shifted uncomfortably, crossing his arms. "Why don't you introduce me to your friends Rose?"

"Of course," Rose conceded. Tom had lost all of his ability to smile and joke around when. Rose quickly pushed that train of thought away. It was dangerous, and she didn't want to darken her good mood with bad memories.

"This is my imzadi, Leonard McCoy," she introduced Bones first. "I've told you about him."

"Yeah, I remember," Tom agreed. He reached out and shook the other man's hand briskly before pulling away. Rose could see Bones' eyes lingering on the black leather mask covering the left half of her friend's face. No doubt he was pondering what could have happened to make Tom need such a thing.

"And this is Spock," Rose went on quickly. She gave her socially-awkward friend a sharp look to keep him from saying anything unintentionally insensitive. Tom wasn't the type to be relaxed about insults, accidental or not. The two exchanged nods and Rose went to introduce the three universe travellers. She had just finished when Martha came trotting up to them with a cheerful smile.

The dark-haired woman was completely different to Tom in personality. While he was serious and cold, often coming off as cruel to those who didn't know his story, Martha was the opposite. She was friendly and gentle. Easily likable. Rose felt her smile grow as she sensed the genuine love the two felt for each other, combined with a slight softening of Tom's closed off expression as his fiancée wrapped herself around his arm. "We have to get to our seats now," Rose sighed disappointedly. "But I'll comm you later if we don't see each other afterwards. We can have dinner together tomorrow?"

"Sounds good," Tom agreed before they split off from each other. They were oblivious to the presence of the other Tarsus Nine. All of whom were seated in different places that would ensure they each had a perfect view of the stage and more importantly, of 'Anton Karidian'.

* * *

They had just gotten comfortable, Bones muttering unfavourably about Shakespeare, when the lights darkened and the curtain lifted to reveal the stage. The two men playing Francisco and Bernardo stood in front of a fake castle.

"Thank god," Bones muttered into Rose's ears. "They're using proper English. I dunno how anyone ever communicated back then with all those fancy words."

She chuckled slightly but didn't reply, instead concentrating on the play. She enjoyed Act I and clapped as the curtain closed on it to let the stage hands change the background.

"It seems to be an interesting play," Spock commented. There was a slight crease in his eyebrow, a sure sign that the plot was dragging him in.

"Definitely," Rose nodded. "I've always loved Shakespeare." The curtain rose again to show a lavishly decorated room in the castle, with the actors playing the courtiers scattered around it. For some reason, Rose felt her smile slip as an uneasy feeling stirred in her stomach.

 _"A little more than kin, and less than kind,"_ Hamlet spoke his first line, making bile rise in Rose's throat.

Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted Roslyn's gaze boring into the man on the stage. Her jaw was tense, and her knuckles were white as she gripped the armrest tightly.

Why was this man affecting them like this?

 _"Not so, my lord; I am too much i' the sun."_

The second line did it for her as 'Hamlet' stepped forward and gave her a full view of his face. As he spoke to 'Claudius', her mind flashed back to That Day.

 _"The revolution is successful. But survival depends on desperate measures. Your continued existence represents a threat to the well-being of society. Your lives mean slow death to the more valued members of the colony. Therefore, I have no alternative but to sentence you to death. Your execution is so ordered, signed Kodos, Governor of Tarsus IV."_

In her mind's eye she saw Hoshi and her aunt attacking the guards along with dozens of other frantic adults desperate to save their children. She heard the sound of blasters firing at the frightened, starving people, her tiny cousin sobbing in her left ear as she dragged as many kids away as she could, Tom crying out as the side of his face was grazed by a shot.

And standing above all the bloody chaos was a man she saw only once, but whose face visited her nightmares every year like clockwork as he declared that they were 'less valued' and as such deserved to die for it. Not even Nero could inspire that level of hatred in her, and she didn't even realize she had risen from her seat until Bones and Spock were asking what was wrong while Roslyn grasped her arm hauled her out of the theatre, the men at their heels.

In the lobby, she slumped to the floor, gasping for breath. Bones and Spock crouched worriedly beside her, asking her again what was wrong.

She started, tensing as the doors re-opened and Tom staggered out with a worried Martha. It only took a single look to confirm he'd also recognized their personal 'monster under the bed' in Anton Karidian, and any hopes of them both being mistaken were removed when Kevin ran out of the theatre so fast he didn't even notice them. Nor was she surprised when the other six people who could identify Kodos came out of the theatre at different times, all severely shaken and despairing.

"You arranged this," Rose stated dully to her strained looking counterpart. "Didn't you?"

"He can't be allowed to get away with what he did," the other woman answered her in a dead tone of voice. She stood, drawing the attention of the upset group.

"I am Admiral Samuels," she announced flatly. "Let's all go to my office. We'll arrange everything there."

"I do not understand what is happening?" Spock inquired. He had been hovering worriedly beside her since they'd entered the lobby. If she wasn't so upset, Rose would've thought his concern to be very sweet. As it was, she barely had the strength to meet his eyes.

"Kodos the Executioner is alive and in this building," she declared flatly, finally saying it aloud.


	16. Courtroom Chaos

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Star Trek.**_

 **Chapter Fourteen**

**Courtroom Chaos Part One**

 _Ap-Lau Stardate 2259.170_

Lt. Nyota Uhura kept an even expression on her face as she walked in the middle of the throng. No one who spotted her would see her furious thoughts, nor would they notice the rage directed at Captain Kirk hidden in her mind. And mental shielding was one of the areas where she excelled.

She arrived at the entrance to the courtroom where the leader of the Karidian Acting Thrope was being put on trial for something. Nyota had to admit she was impressed. Admiral Samuels had organized it all in under three days, and several of those days had been spent waiting for several extra witnesses and letting Karidian's lawyer organize the defence.

The trial itself was a closed trial, with only a few dozen people allowed to watch and no members of the media were allowed any information at all. Nyota had used her status as a niece of an Admiral to get to be one of the few viewers. But even she would be banned if she was discovered passing information about the trial to anyone.

After showing her ID, she was directed to an assigned seat, and her breath caught when she spotted Spock in the front row beside his parents, McCoy, an elderly Vulcan with a shockingly concerned expression on his face, and two elderly humans in Admiral's dress uniforms.

Nyota followed Spock's gaze and her own expression darkened. In the witness section, whispering to a man in half of a face mask, was _her_. The woman who had stolen Spock from her. The woman considered the saviour of the Federation despite the fact that she was really nothing but a cheating slut (in multiple areas.) Captain Rosalind Kirk.

Nyota clenched her fists at the sight of _her_ love looking at another woman. Then she noticed the look on Rose's face. She looked drawn and pale. Her hair was in a simple crown plait instead of a more elaborate hairstyle that would've been expected by her crew for a formal event like this one.

Musings and suspicions chased each other as the tribunal entered, being announced as Admiral Christopher Pike, one of the newest members of the Admiralty, Admiral Richard Barnett and Admiral Jonathan Archer, Starfleet's Chief of Staff.

Then the defendant was led in and introduced, his crimes announced by the bailiff.

"We are gathered here," bailiff Klyla announced in her heavy Andorian accent. "For the trial of Anton Karidian, who is accused of being Roderick Kodos, a.k.a Kodos the Executioner. (A ripple of gasps went through the crowd.) He is facing charges of genocide, overthrowing the lawful government of Tarsus IV, murder, torture, extortion, coercion, theft, and other crimes. What is the defendant's plea?"

Nyota was trying frantically to figure out what connection Rose could possibly have to Kodos as the defending lawyer, a civilian named Aiden Howell, entered an obvious plea of 'not guilty'. Then the prosecuting lawyer, Starfleet lieutenant Areel Shaw, began her opening statement.

* * *

Rose barely heard Shaw's speech, too busy going through her forth breathing exercise in the less than thirty-minutes since she'd taken her position on the witness stand. She felt Michael Sullivan shift beside her, and stiffened automatically as she lost her concentration. Sullivan had been one of those coerced into being a member of Kodos' guards, and Rose was furiously aware that he'd been the one to ID Kodos' body. And yet here they were.

Rose started as Tom nudged her arm. "You're up," he whispered in her ear. "Good luck."

She smoothed down her dress and made her way over to witness stand. Usually she would be indifferent, even welcoming to being the centre of attention but now. Not for this.

"Do you, Captain Rosalind Ophelia Kirk, swear to tell the truth, only the truth, and nothing but the truth, least the Four Deities strip your soul from the universe?" Klyla asked after checking Rose's religion to give her the correct oath. Rose nodded, murmuring her agreement before sitting down in the truth-detector. Handy things, these were.

Areel stood and moved to stand in front of her while the computer reeled off Rose's name, rank, and list of awards that she'd gained since starting the Academy. Usually, Rose felt rather smug that it was already a four-minute long list after only three years in the Academy and a year on active duty. But today she barely heard, let alone registered it.

"Ahem," Areel coughed into her fist. "Captain Kirk, please state your relationship to the defendant."

Rose heaved a sigh. "He ordered the murders of my family and I when I was thirteen," she explained, elaborating before Areel could reply. A wave of shocked reactions rippled through the audience, their heightened emotions increasing her headache.

"He was a scientist on the colony I was living on with my aunt and her family. I wouldn't have known anything about him, except he was known for being incredibly xenophobic. He lost his job after he attacked a Tellerite.

When the famine began, he blamed the non-humans for causing it. Later on, he led a coup to take over the colony after the fungus destroyed the majority of our harvest. Then he ordered anybody non-human in the colony, as well as anyone ill or over or under a certain age to be executed." Not once did the chair show anything but pure truth.

There were more gasps though these were all mostly common facts. Areel, knowing well how to play a crowd, stayed silent for a moment to let Rose's statement sink in.

"And what name do you know the defendant by?"

"Kodos, Governor of Tarsus IV," Rose answered, voice harder than rock.

"I'm finished with this witness for the moment, Your Honours," Areel informed the judges. "But I reserve the right to recall her if necessary."

"Understood," Archer nodded. "Defence, you may proceed with questioning the witness."

Howell stood, making his way to the stand. He shifted uncomfortably and Rose felt a stab of pity for the man. He was a public defender who'd drawn the short straw. He wasn't going to win this case, and in fact he didn't want to, but after its' conclusion he would forever be known as the man who tried to help Kodos the Executioner escape justice. A no-win situation for the young man.

"Captain Kirk, what age were you when you met Governor Kodos?"

"As I said before," Rose replied in as mild a tone as she could manage. "I was thirteen."

"And, I imagine at the time you weren't in the best of health?"

"I hadn't eaten a proper meal in several weeks, so no I was not," Rose clenched her hands into fists on her lap.

Through the imzadi bonds, she could feel Spock and Bones trying to comfort her, though she didn't think Spock was consciously aware of doing so. It didn't feel like he was anyway. Bones on the other hand, was conscious of what he was doing, but wasn't particularly practiced about it.

"Did you meet Kodos multiple times?" Howell asked her, clearly trying to cast doubt on her testimony. It wouldn't work. Rose's reputation preceded her.

* * *

Roslyn felt her sharp nails dig into her palms as she watched her younger self answer Howell in a steady tone that hid the distress Roslyn knew she felt. Roslyn had never had the chance to testify against Kodos. But she'd still gotten justice for what had happened. What Roslyn had never admitted, was that she could have saved Kodos' life that day.

When Lenore had fired at her, and Kodos got in the way, there had been a split second when she could have grabbed him and pulled him out of the way of the blast. Roslyn would've been injured, but non-fatally. She'd done more in less time.

But memories of Tarsus had flashed threw her mind, she'd seen Kevin with the same panicked expression that he'd worn during the massacre, and in the end she had made the conscious decision to let him take the blast meant for her.

She felt guilty, not for letting him die, but because she still thought it was the right choice to make. _"If Starfleet hadn't arrived early, Kodos might've been called a hero!"_ She sneered unconsciously at the memory. He hadn't regretted his actions, damn him. Four thousand people dead in one day, and another thousand in the weeks before and after the massacre. And he still thought he was justified in murdering them all.

The only regret Roslyn felt about Kodos' death was that he hadn't suffered enough for everything that he had done.

She felt blood begin to well up from the dents in her palms as her counterpart left the stand with a drained air, to be replaced by Melanie Thompson, who'd been coerced into giving Kodos medical attention once. She wasn't surprised by the order that Shaw was calling up the witnesses.

Rose was first, due to her already impressive reputation. Then Melanie, who'd seen Kodos up close. Then it would be Sullivan, who'd seen Kodos multiple times. Then it would be Sha're Trax, a hybrid Human-Andorian who'd been sixteen, and thus the oldest, when she escaped the massacre, though she'd joined a different group to Rose's.

Then the rest would simply be used to further reinforce the prosecution's point, though for some it might make it worse. Not all of the survivors had dealt with the trauma as well as Rose. But they would probably all be called. After all, the only evidence of Kodos was the eye-witnesses' accounts.

Still, with the current atmosphere towards genocide, Roslyn found it hard to believe that Kodos would escape the death sentence. Especially given Archer's presence on the judge's panel. She still remembered his look of pure, raw grief when Hoshi's death had been confirmed. It was a pain she hadn't understood until Gary's death. Gary's and her counterparts may not have been close in this universe, but they'd been close in hers. And he'd been one of the first crewmates lost when she was captain. Not that she had ever forgotten any of them.

 _"Rose."_ Bones leaned over to her and pulled her hands out of their position. _"Stop, darlin'. That won't help you. That won't help anything."_

She didn't reply, keeping her attention fixed on Melanie. The woman was tense and shaking as she dealt with Howell's examination. Unlike Rose, she was unused to attention, and was clearly on the brink of bursting into tears when the judges took pity on her and waved her off. But it seemed to have made the watching audience mostly sympathetic toward the Nine, all of whom were showing varying selves of trauma.

Roslyn was traumatized too. She just knew how to hide it better. Four Deities, when would this be over? She should've just murdered him.

* * *

A plan had formed in Nyota's slowly-disintegrating mind, somewhere between Rose being called to the stand and the court declaring a recess for the day. If she wanted to get Spock back, Nyota needed to get her Captain out of the way. Usually this would have been a hard task, but Rose was a mess right now, anybody could see it. So if Nyota caught her off guard, she could deal with her easily.

But she would need a distraction still. A way to lure Rose away from her ever-present shadows in the forms of McCoy and Spock. And someone to have Rose's murder blamed on, though Nyota didn't think she would ever be considered a suspect. The advantages of having an adoring uncle as an Admiral in the fleet were vast and numerous, and Nyota was confident her uncle would ensure she wasn't questioned heavily.

So. Nyota needed two accomplices, knowing or otherwise. Someone to serve as a distraction and get Spock and McCoy away from Rose's side, and someone to pin the blame of the captain's death on.

Nyota's eyes scanned the crowd, considering them all. She paused upon spotting the three CO's of the Enterprise speaking with the three people she'd noticed earlier. It was obvious from their body language that they were all close to Rose, and in the back of her mind Nyota decided she would use one of the elderly people as the distraction, just to upset Rose more. That just left the scapegoat. An alibi could be easily sorted out.

Nyota ran threw a list of possibilities as she made her way out of the building. None of the crew could be used of course. They were all blinded by Rose's pretty smile and lucky break with Nero. They all seemed to have forgotten how she'd obviously used her name to skate through the Academy without doing any work, and how she'd snuck aboard the ship and manipulated Spock into giving her command of the ship.

(Nyota stubbornly ignored the fact that Rose had been top of every class, and tutored quite a few other students, and that she had never once seen or heard of Rose using her name to gain an advantage. Nor did she let herself recall that Rose had collapsed just after the hearing and been taken aboard on a stretcher, or that Spock had been making unstable and illegal commands in the midst of his grief and broken bonds.)

As she walked across the courtyard, Nyota spotted a young blonde teenager throwing a fit and screaming loudly. "MY FATHER IS NOT A GENOCIDAL MANIAC! YOU SHOULD BE KISSING HIS BOOTS KIRK!" Nyota's lips curled into a satisfied smile and she changed her trajectory to hide behind a pillar with a perfect line of sight toward the teen.


	17. The Attack

**Disclaimer: I don't own Star Trek.**

 **Chapter Fifteen**

**The Attack**

 _Ap-Lau Stardate 2259.172_

Roslyn rubbed her temples tiredly as she absently accepted a cup of coffee from a young girl in the uniform of Yeoman who looked vaguely familiar. From the age of her, she was a new intern or something. She dismissed the familiarity however, as she was too busy concentrating on her work. (Or trying to anyway.) She had probably met the girl in her own universe at some point.

The numbers seemed to swim in front of her eyes, and a pounding headache had sprung up in her forehead.

She sighed, putting down the PADD and taking a deep gulp of her steaming coffee. She wasn't going to be able to focus on anything properly until Kodos had been sentenced to some terrible penal colony where he would waste away to death. A dreamy smile slipped over her features as she contemplated the thought of her most-loathed enemy suffering a prolonged death. It was very bloodthirsty of her, far more so than usual, but she hated Kodos more than anything. She didn't even hate Khan as much as Kodos, though it was close.

She frowned slightly as she took another sip of the drink she held. Something about it tasted strange. Almost minty? She looked down into the cup, moving it from side to side as if she could see the ingredients within.

"Rose?" Bones' voice interrupted her study of the coffee. "What're ya doin' in here darlin'?"

"The coffee has mint in it," she replied blankly. The statement was very ditzy, and unlike the normally composed Admiral. McCoy's worry ratcheted up yet another notch.

"Okay," he agreed carefully, reaching out to take the cup from her unresisting fingers. Her arms fell down limply to her sides and hung there for a moment before she reached for her PADD again.

"Darlin', you know you're not gonna get any work done until this is over," he told her gently. She cast a blank-faced look at him before turning back to her work, tapping away at the tablet, though he could tell she wasn't actually working, merely flicking through her things.

Leonard sighed. The thing was, even decades (for her) after the Massacre, Roslyn was still traumatized by it. She suffered everything from physical effects such as food problems, to mental ones such as vicious nightmares. Roslyn preferred to suppress things until she was ready to deal with things, and Leonard didn't think that she was ever ready to deal with Tarsus. Despite that, her entire moral system had been based on the one she developed on the colony.

Now, Roslyn was in the position of having to acknowledge what had happened before she was prepared, and she was coping as well as her younger counterpart. That is to say, terribly. As far as Leonard could tell, she was alternating between acting like everything was normal, and planning Kodos' 'accidental' death in prison.

She also seemed to be completely ignoring the teenage Lenore Karidian, who had threatened everyone involved in the case multiple times and who was the younger counterpart of the woman who had killed several of Roslyn's close friends and tried to kill her and Kevin.

"Oh, Darlin'," he sighed, taking the PADD from her and putting it down on the desk after turning it off.

"Hey!" she objected. "I need to-"

"Rest," he interrupted firmly. "You need to come home with me, have something to eat (she flinched) and cuddle with Spock, Saavik and I." His gaze softened and he reached out to clasp her hand. "You aren't Atlas Darlin. You don't have to carry the world on your shoulders."

"Fine," she sighed. It was the easiest she had ever given in to him, and that worried him almost as much as her lifeless look. She stood up, and started to sway.

"Rose!" he yelled. He lunged to grab her as she slumped to the ground, the coffee falling to the ground. "Help!" he cried. "Help! Medic! Blue Alert, Blue Alert!"

A yeoman stuck his head around the corner and instantly withdrew to start calling for a medic too. The base now alerted, Leonard laid his wife down on the floor and started to give her chest compressions as he registered she wasn't breathing. Only years of experience tending to Rose when she was hurt kept him from panicking too much to help her. Despite that, when the medics came rushing in and took over, he let them without protest.

Once they were gone, he buried his head in his hand and felt his shoulders shake with his heavy, ragged gasps. He stayed there until Spock, worried by the emotions flowing through the bond and lack of response to his mental queries came looking for him. He didn't respond to his increasingly worried husband, and eventually Spock gave up and ushered him to the medbay. No one payed attention to the coffee cup on its' side on the ground, its' liquid spreading across the floor.

* * *

"So what happened?" Rose asked Selek as they waited for the doctor to come out. They were in the waiting room with Spock, Selek holding Saavik carefully. For once since the week had begun, she was able to concentrate on something other than her memories of Tarsus IV.

He glanced at her briefly before turning back to Saavik, cradled in his arms. McCoy, who had regained his senses, was harassing the hospital staff alongside Bones for news on Roslyn.

"Apparently she stood up to leave with him, and simply collapsed," he explained softly. "No warning at all."

"That is very odd," Spock noted with a hint of a frown in his dark eyes. "I would not have expected for there to be no signs at all, even in the pallor of her skin. And Admiral McCoy is a very experienced doctor. Why would he not have noticed she was ill enough to require surgery?"

"Probably 'cause she was poisoned," he was interrupted. They all looked up to see a haggard looking Bones. "She ingested some form of poison within an hour of her collapse. We think it was in the coffee she was drinking, because she mentioned to _him_ that it tasted like it had mint in it, and she doesn't put mint in her coffee."

"Why would someone poison Roslyn?" Rose asked in bewilderment. "It doesn't make sense, the only high-level thing she's dealing with is the trial, and her being hospitalized won't affect it. And as for running the base, someone else can step in until she's back on her feet."

"We have not gained any enemies since our arrival to my knowledge," Selek agreed. "This is a very illogical attack." It only took one glance for Rose to discern that he was hiding his anguish behind his mask of logic and unemotionalism. She placed a hand on his arm, sending waves of comfort through the contact.

"Why don't I take Saavik back to your place?" she suggested. "She shouldn't be at a hospital for so long, she's too young."

"My mother has just called asking for me to collect her from the Council Chambers," Spock frowned. "And Dr. McCoy must stay here in case the doctors need help. You would be alone."

"I'm a grown woman Spock, I can take care of myself," Rose snapped, her temper flaring out of frustration caused by Bones and Spock's constant hovering over the past few days. She knew why they did it, and she understood they were just worried about her, but Rose was a very independent woman. She had very little tolerance for people mother-henning her.

"Alright," Selek interceded before it could escalate into an argument. "You are correct that Saavik-kam should not be in a hospital with her immune system still developing, and it is almost time for her to go to bed as well."

Carefully, he passed the small child into Rose's arms. She adjusted her grip to make the baby more comfortable before standing and resting her on her left hip whilst picking up her bag and the baby-bag in her right hand.

"I'll see you back at the house," she told Bones softly. He grimaced but nodded in reluctant acceptance. They exchanged a quick kiss before Rose said goodbye to Spock and Selek and strode away quickly and briskly.

As she passed through the now dark streets, (night came very quickly on the Vulcan colony planet and they only had a few lamps set up. Setting up the colony was taking a while.) a sense of being followed caused her spine to tingle. She looked around as casually as she could, hoisting Saavik into a better position with one arm and letting the other fall to dangle near her phaser, which was hidden under her thigh-length jacket.

She was gripped by a sudden surge of certainty. Whomever it was that had poisoned Roslyn had done so to distract their small group and separate them. Her suspicions only increased when she tried to reach out to Bones and Spock and hit a mental wall.

It was a feeling that she recognized. Psy-blockers. Small, remote-shaped devices used to prevent telepaths and empaths from using their psychic abilities. Heavily restricted by the Federation, only used by Starfleet for training and keeping psy-positive's prisoner if necessary. But you could get anything off of the black market if you had the right amount of credits and knew the right people.

She casually quickened her pace to try and get through the deserted streets as fast as she could without (a) actually outright running whilst holding the thankfully silent baby, or (b) making it obvious that she knew she was being followed and was trying to escape her pursuer.

She was plagued by the feeling of malice radiating from her stalker, but couldn't pinpoint their location at all. It was like they were in multiple places surrounding her. It suddenly clicked that her follower was trained in mental protection and broadcasting. If that was the case then they probably knew she could sense them and they were just playing with her.

Taking that into account, she was wasting her time by pretending not to know she was being watched. Wasting her time and endangering her and Saavik more than they were already. Having come to that conclusion, she adjusted her grip to hold Saavik more securely, pulled out her phaser and started to sprint as fast as she could.

The baby whimpered but still didn't cry and Rose's ears, which were more sensitive than a full human's, picked up the sound of soft footsteps starting up behind her. Whoever it was had training, Rose decided. They were too good at this for otherwise.

Who was it? Why were they pursuing her and why had they attacked Roslyn? If it was about the trial, Rose had already testified so attacking her instead of one of the witnesses made no sense. And as far as everyone save for the select few who knew of the alternate timeline was aware, Roslyn had family killed on Tarsus in the massacre (the excuse they had come up with to explain her evident distress during the trial.) but she herself wasn't a witness or involved in judging Kodos.

None of this made any sense, and Saavik's increasing cries were making it harder to try and figure everything out. Suddenly Rose's foot caught on a cobblestone and she stumbled. She lost her footing and her speed prevented her from regaining it. Instead she went flying and only just managed to cover Saavik with her body, shielding her from the impact, before she felt her head connect with the stone pavement.

Just before her vision went black, someone walked up beside her. She shifted her head just enough to see who it was who had been chasing her. Shock briefly overtook her as she peered up at them through her bloodstained vision to her tormentor. Then, as she considered it, she realized she really shouldn't have been surprised.

"Really Uhura?" she coughed out at her subordinate. "Don't you think chasing me through a dark street is a bit too cliché?"

Her sight faded to black as she looked up at Uhura's smirking face. Saavik was still crying in her slack arms and Rose could only feel regret at her failure to protect the infant. She could only hope that the mad woman (because Rose could easily spy the insanity in the other woman's eyes and she wondered briefly how Uhura had gotten through the psych evals) would leave the child be. Finally, she lost the battle with consciousness and fell into the abyss.


	18. Searching

**Disclaimer: I don't own Star Trek**

 **Chapter Sixteen**

**Searching for Lost Roses**

 _Ap-Lau Stardate 2259.173_

Selek had been in Roslyn's post-surgery room with her unconscious form and Leonard when the alert came. He was meditating, or rather he was attempting to meditate, when his comm started to beep frantically.

"Who's calling you?" His husband asked, distracted from the chart he was perusing by the noise.

"I am unsure," he murmured in reply. "I shall check." He pressed the button to answer, Amanda appearing in the screen.

"Selek," she said. At the distraught tone of her voice, dread rose in his throat.

"Lady Amanda," he answered, wrapping his mask of emotionlessness around him like a protective cloak. "Is something the matter?"

A sob burst out of her throat. "Oh Selek," she wept. "She's gone. They took her, I'm so sorry."

Leonard came up to his side, looking worried. "Amanda, take a deep breath," he instructed tensely. "Tell us what happened. Who took who and why are you sorry?"

She took in a shaky breath before exhaling equally as shakily. "A Starfleet patrol came across Saavik, lying abandoned in an alley with, with blood around her." She met their horrified expressions with grief lurking in her own brown orbs. "The blood matched Captain Kirk."

* * *

Rose groaned in pain as she stirred. Then she froze, registering the tight cords of cable wrapped in an intricate knot around her wrists. The memories of her flight, and then her failed fight, flooded back to her and she flung her mind out. She was unsurprised to realize that she was still within the range of a psy-blocker, but her worry increased when she couldn't feel Saavik's presence. What had they done with her?

She faked sleep as the sound of footsteps approached. A familiar voice sounded.

"I know you're awake Kirk," Uhura sneered. "Stop your faking. It's pointless."

Seeing as the lieutenant was right about that, Rose opened her eyes and awkwardly shifted into a seated position. She studied her (former) communications officer with a frown.

Uhura's eyes were wild with dark shadows underneath. Her hair was messy, like she'd been tugging at it repeatedly, and her clothes were untidy as well. Her chest seemed to heave heavily, and Rose also noted a thinness to the woman's already slim form. She felt a surge of guilt well up within her at the sight.

As Captain, it was Rose's duty to see that her officers were all in good physical and mental health while they were serving on the Enterprise. Looking at Uhura, it was beyond clear to Rose that she had failed epically in that duty.

"Lieutenant Uhura," she greeted the woman softly. "What did you do with the baby?"

The other woman glared at her viciously. "I left her there where she'd be quickly found of course," she snapped angrily. "What sort of person do you think I am? As if I would harm an innocent! You're not worth staining my hands for!"

"And what about Admiral Samuels?" Rose countered. "Why didn't she count as an innocent? What did she do?"

"She'll be fine," Uhura scoffed. She was pacing, a jittery manner in her hands and walk. Her eyes seemed to dart all around, searching for what Rose didn't know. "The dose wasn't lethal," Uhura continued. "But I needed to do something to get you separated from your loyal bodyguards, and it worked like a charm." She paused in her frantic pacing to smirk at Rose. "You did exactly as I wanted you to. So much for smartest captain in the fleet"

"How did you poison her?" Rose asked, ignoring the insult so that she could reach out mentally to the other woman.

The blockers didn't prevent her using passive empathy on anyone inside them with her, and Uhura was such a mental mess her emotions seemed to be spilling out of her.

"Oh that was easy," Uhura dismissed the question with a wave of her hand. "Little Lenore Karidian was very eager for the chance to get revenge on the one who got her father arrested."

Rose frowned inwardly, disturbed at what she had found in Uhura's mind. The woman had once been a slightly more spoiled version of the woman who had served with the Prime Triumvirate in their universe. She was spoiled, but a good person at heart. She had joined Starfleet because she believed wholly in its' mission to keep the peace in the galaxy.

But the combination of the effects of untreated mental trauma from seeing Vulcan's destruction, along with the loss of her best friend and roommate, Gaila, on the Farragut and losing the man she had anchored herself on, Spock, had caused her mind to disintegrate.

She had been pouring all of herself into her relationship with Spock and her position as Comm Officer. Then she had learned that she wasn't going to be made Chief of Communications despite her help during the Narada crisis, and Spock had broken up with her, and she simply couldn't deal with everything.

In a desperate attempt to have an enemy to focus her building rage on, she had targeted Rose, who she had always been jealous of in the Academy. Rose had become Captain _before_ her graduation, she had become close to Spock and, in Uhura's eyes, taken her place as his confidant. Therefore Uhura's damaged mind had labeled Rose as The Source of All Her Problems.

' _I'm sorry'_ Rose thought. _'You should have been given the help that you needed. I should've been able to help you.'_ She didn't try to resist when the crazed lieutenant suddenly gave a vicious smile and began punching her with her with all the built up fury her slim body contained. She deserved it for failing her officer so badly.

* * *

 _Ap-Lau, Stardate 2259.174_

"This is unacceptable," Spock declared curtly. "Captain Kirk has now been missing for exactly twenty-nine point eight three hours. In such cases, the first twenty-four hours are critical. Our efforts to locate the captain must be increased."

"There is very little more that we can do, my son," Sarek informed. Only Amanda and Selek could read the unhappiness in his expressionless face and tone. "We have deployed all the available resources to find the captain. Computer experts are studying the satellite and security footage as we speak for clues. We can do no more to aid them."

"Then perhaps I should join the search parties on the ground," Spock decided and both of his parents immediately objected, Amanda falling silent to allow Sarek to give a more logical argument against the suggestion.

Selek stayed quiet in the background, focusing on sitting beside Dr. McCoy attempting to give him silent comfort.

The group was gathered in Roslyn's office at the local Starfleet base.

Her computer was beeping almost constantly in the background with reports from the search teams. Most of them were simple statements of 'no progress'. Whoever had taken Rose was clever and talented, a deadly mix for certain.

Spock was behind the desk, with his parents in front, and Selek and Young McCoy were seated at the soft red sofa Roslyn kept in the room. McCoy had, after several hours worth of futilely attempting to contact Rose through their _imzadi_ bond, rested his head in his hands and hadn't spoken since. A psy-null could feel the pain and grief radiating from him, and as far as Selek knew, while both of the men were in love with Rose, they weren't in love with each other as well yet. Meaning that their respective presences were not as comforting as they would be for Selek and his own husband Leonard.

Leonard himself was still at the hospital, but now Saavik was a patient there as well as their still-unconscious wife. It was a grim state of affairs, for sure.

Someone rapped briskly at the door, and entered before anyone could answer. A man Selek recognized as a young Chief Giotto came striding in, a frown on his face and his PADD clutched tightly to him. McCoy lowered his hands and looked hopefully at the man.

"Chief Giotto," Spock nodded. "Has any progress been made in the search?"

"Maybe," the man replied gruffly. "Lt. Uhura hasn't reported in since several hours before the kidnapping. And her tracker was destroyed."

Selek and Spock's eyes rose at that, McCoy snapping out a sharp "What?" at the same time.

All Starfleet officials were required to keep the tracker in their standard-issue uniforms active at all times. While there were times that interference or damage stopped them from working, many officers' lives had been saved by the small devices. Uhura's tracker being destroyed was a very serious matter.

"Do you believe that whoever took the captain also took the lieutenant?" Spock asked, traces of a frown around his eyes. Giotto, to everyone's surprise, shook his head. The next words out of his mouth stunned them all.

"No," he said grimly. "I think she's the one who kidnapped Captain Kirk."

The chaos that had ensued from Gitto's accusation was immense once the word spread, but Spock, upon thinking it over, understood the logic.

Uhura's recent evaluations, both psychological and physical, had revealed an increasingly large downturn in her health. And her hatred of the Enterprise's commanding officer, as well as her desire to become Spock's bondmate, was well known to all the officers on board the starship. And it was also a commonly accepted fact that if Spock hadn't yet joined McCoy and Rose's relationship, he soon would. Even Spock and McCoy had accepted that fact. It simply wasn't official yet.

So, if Uhura wanted to become Spock's wife, she would have to eliminate the obstacles in her way: Rose and McCoy. Rose, as the superior fighter of the three of them, needed to be dealt with first. Not if Spock could help it.

He couldn't contact her yet, but both he and McCoy still felt Rose's golden presence in their minds, so they knew she was still alive. And once they had identified Uhura as the culprit, as well as linking her to Lenore Karidian, Kodos' angry and revenge-seeking daughter, finding her location was very easy for Starfleet's best.

"Is everyone ready?" Spock asked Giotto, who was checking his phaser's power levels.

"Yes Sir," the security chief nodded crisply.

"Then we will, move out," Spock ordered calmly, quoting Rose. He felt the Vulcan's dormant instincts demanding blood as he spoke, and reassured himself with the knowledge that Rose would soon be safe with him and Leonard again. And Uhura would be dead.


	19. Endings

**Disclaimer: I don't own Star Trek. To be honest, this isn't a great ending. But I have no inspiration left for this story, so I hope it's an okay one at least. Thank you all for reviewing, favouriting and following this story. Your support meant so much to me, and I will always appreciate it. Thanks, IWantColouredRain.**

 **Chapter Sixteen**

**Courtroom Chaos and Endings**

 _Ap-Lau Stardate 2259.173_

In the end, the whole thing was really very anti-climatic. The taskforce that Spock and Giotto had assembled for the rescue stormed the abandoned warehouse where Uhura had set up shop.

Her decayed mind had been too focused on capturing Rose that she hadn't even considered setting up any defences save for a few easily defused bombs. Lenore Karidian had attacked the assault force and received three stun bolts before being taken to be given medical attention in the Enterprise's brig.

They had found Uhura in the next room, so intent on beating Rose to death that she hadn't even realized the warehouse had been breached. Giotto and Hendorff had pulled her away from the unconscious captain, giving McCoy space to bend over his _imzadi_ , tension lining his jaw.

"You're too late," Uhura gasped out, her voice a mixture of sobbing and laughing. "You're too late. She's dead. The goddamned hybrid bitch is gone. Finally!"

"Not yet she isn't," McCoy growled, turning slightly to Spock while still concentrating on the screen of the tricorder that he held in a white-knuckled grip. "But she definitely needs surgery. God damn it all, the _least_ worrying problem out of this list is her concussion. Call for the damn medics to get in here and help me transport her already."

"I shall do so immediately," Spock murmured. He raised his portable-comm unit to his mouth and ordered the medics to enter before he turned to look at the men restraining Uhura. The minute McCoy had declared Rose to be alive she had started trying to wrench herself out of their grips in order to attack the unconscious woman again. Her screeches were loud and in a mixture of different languages, rendering it impossible to decipher them.

"Chief Giotto, Lieutenant Hendorff," Spock said to them, his expression wooden. "Please escort Miss Uhura to a holding cell and ensure that she is kept under constant surveillance."

"Yes sir!" the two security officers nodded crisply, unable to salute with their hands full of the thrashing woman. Spock let the lack of physical respect 'slide', as Rose and McCoy called it. Rose had been working on making him be less strict about protocol.

"There's a time and a place, Spock," she had said to multiple times when they discussed it. "A time and a place. A crisis situation, or any situation requiring medical attention is not one of those times, nor is it one of those places either."

The two redshirts dragged Uhura away, the former communications officer shrieking and struggling wildly the whole way. She struggled so desperately that two others had to go and join the group after she managed to riggle an arm out and smack Giotto hard across the face in the midst of flailing around wildly.

Watching the pathetic scene, Spock felt a surge of guilt. Uhura had been, while not someone that he wanted to call a wife, a friend of sorts to him. He knew with an eerie, almost prophetic certainty that the fact that he had failed to see or help prevent her mental disintegration would haunt him for the rest of his life.

He turned away from the scene to concentrate on Rose. The medics had rushed in and surrounded her, barking instructions and stats at each other as they worked to stabilize her enough to take her to the medbay onboard the Enterprise.

His heart thudded in his side, and he knew the sight of Rose, blonde hair turned the crimson colour of human blood, lying still in a scarlet halo, had joined the sight of Vulcan collapsing in on itself in his nightmares.

"Alright, we're good!" McCoy called suddenly. "Beam us up Scotty! Straight to the medbay, and have M'Benga and the nurses on standby to go to surgery! Hurry, goddamnit!"

The group was enveloped by the bright light that signalled the use of a transporter, and when it faded they were gone, leaving Spock and the remainder of the security team to go over the scene and check for anything else they needed.

* * *

 _Ap-Lau Stardate 2259.202_

A month later, they held the trial for Lieutenant Nyota Uhura. Why they were putting her on trial at all, McCoy had no idea. It was obvious to anyone who looked at her that Uhura was crazier than a bag of cats, but Doctor Dehner had certified that she was well enough to be court martialled despite her mental difficulties.

Uhura had been aware enough of her actions and was responding enough to her treatment that she was able to be put on trial and subsequently punished for her actions. McCoy couldn't really bring himself to even pretend to be upset about it.

"All rise for Admirals Archer, Pike and Barnett!" the bailiff ordered.

The three men all looked exhausted, and no wonder. Kodos' trial had been delayed by the attack on Admiral Samuels and Rose's kidnapping, meaning it had only been wrapped up three days ago. After that, the three had been working round the clock to do Roslyn's work, and their own, and deal with press regarding Kodos' and Uhura. On top of all that, Uhura's family had descended on Ap-Lau, her admiral uncle in the lead, to try and get her out of a punishment.

Thankfully, Rose was friends with Pike and Archer (who she knew through Hoshi Sato from Tarsus IV apparently. Obviously mind-bonds couldn't make you share everything.) and on cordial terms with Barnett who was a keen advocate of justice. Instead of freeing Uhura, the whole clan had been barred from the court.

"We are here for the court martial of Lieutenant Nyota Uhura, Senior Communications Officer aboard the USS Enterprise under the command of Captain Rosalind Kirk. Starfleet Medal of Honour, awarded for services accorded during the Narada Crisis.

She is to be tried for two counts of attempted murder, and one count each of assault, theft, unauthorized possession of a restricted object and kidnapping. The defence has entered a plea of not guilty due to mental instability. Defence, you have the floor."

Arash D'Qar, an Arcadian lawyer summoned by Uhura's family from a nearby planet for the case, rose to his feet and began speaking in his client's defence.

McCoy zoned out a bit during the speech after he understood the gist of D'Qar's tactics. The case against Uhura was rock-solid, no way would she ever get a verdict of 'innocent.' D'Q knew that, so instead he was trying to mitigate the consequences she would receive.

D'Qar called Doctor Dehner to the stand and got her to go over Uhura's mental state. Basically, she had suffered a severe mental breakdown after witnessing the destruction of Vulcan and losing her best friend on the Farragut.

The initial problems had been so small, that they had been overlooked by the professionals, who were all overwhelmed by the influx of patients traumatized by the incident. The longer Uhura had gone without help, the worse the cracks had grown, the damage increasing with each of the incidents that in other circumstances would have simply been small upheavals of distress.

As CMO, McCoy knew that he had failed the woman. As Rose's _imzadi_ , he didn't care, and just wanted her to go to hell already.

Areel stood up to cross-examine Dehner, and McCoy felt a hint of a grin play at his lips. Areel and Rose were friends. She was gonna see Uhura get the worst punishment she could swing for what had happened.

And then McCoy was gonna say to hell with it and propose to the two idiots he was in love with. If Starfleet had taught him anything, it had taught him that life was short and you couldn't afford to take a second of it for granted.

* * *

 **The Epilogue (Four Years Later, Yorktown)**

 _Ap-Lau Stardate 2263.455_

"Hello Saavik," Rose smiled down at the serious looking child. It was adorable, the not-quite emotionless expression along with the princess pajamas and the stuffed sehlat beneath her left arm. After Saavik had greeted her back, she turned to the three adults who had arrived with the child. "Hello Selek, Leon, Roslyn. How are you? It's been a while."

"Couple o' months, at least," Leon agreed, leaning in to hug her. "What's this I heard about you running around a radiation belt in your condition? Have you got _any_ survival instincts at all? A lunatic in every universe, I swear it."

Rose grimaced slightly. It was too soon to joke about that disaster of a mission yet. Not with the destruction of Yorktown still being repaired seemingly everywhere she looked. Roslyn shot her a sympathetic look and quickly changed the subject. Rose sent a feeling of gratefulness to her.

"Where are Spock and Leo? I'm amazed you escaped their bubble wrap. I could never get a moment of peace when I was pregnant. Every time I turned around one of them would be there to fuss over my daring to stand on my own two feet."

"Oh, yeah," Rose snorted. The two of them ignored Leon and Selek's protests that they hadn't been that bad, and anyway, according to Leon, they would've had the right to be, what with the Kirk crazy gene she had inherited.

"Spock was on 'Rose watching duty' when there was an explosion in a lab," Rose explained. "I said I would go, which promptly made him insist that I rest in our quarters while he sorted it out. As soon as he left I made my escape."

"He and Mini-Bones are going to throw a fit you know," Roslyn pointed out, her amusement plain on her face.

"That is true," Rose agreed. "But as it so happens, there was a mix up with our timetables for the next few weeks."

"Oh?" Roslyn raised an eyebrow, her dark eyes dancing with suppressed laughter. "Is that so? What happened?"

"Well," Rose heaved a mock sigh, resting one hand on her swollen stomach and stroking it gently. "Despite my _dear_ husbands ordering that my shifts coincide with at least one of theirs, it seems they're both on Omega shift for the next month, and _I'm_ on Alpha. The new shifts kick in tomorrow, actually."

"Do they know?" Roslyn asked with a curious head tilt.

"Hell, no," Rose snorted. "Not yet anyway. When they find out-"

"ROSALIND KIRK!" She heard Bones' voice, full of fury, echo through the whole station, causing various passerbys to pause and stare around in surprise.

"We'll know," Rose finished calmly. She turned and smiled innocently at her approaching husbands. Bones' face was nearly purple from fury, while Spock had his lips pressed tightly to each other, displeasure radiating from him.

"Rose, what the hell, darlin?" Bones demanded loudly. "You-"

"I love you," she interrupted. He sputtered to a surprised stop, Spock raising an eyebrow. Rose didn't notice her and her husbands' counterparts slipping away into the crowd, Saavik clutching Leon's hand for safety.

"Are you well, _t'hy'la_?" Spock asked, stepping closer to along with Bones, both looking worried by her random declaration of love.

"No," she shook her head. She grinned broadly, leaning into them. "I'm fantastic," she whispered into their ears. "We're gonna be the best parents in the galaxy." she'd pulled away to smile even more brightly at them. "Which is a very good thing, because our child has decided to make their appearance a few weeks earlier than we predicted."

The labour would've been worth it, just to see the look on their faces, even if she hadn't had a beautiful child to claim as her own by the end of it.


End file.
